


Little Orphan Anya

by sincerely_v



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-07 16:59:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 97,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5464124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincerely_v/pseuds/sincerely_v
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In order to save her chances at being elected, the young tech billionaire, Lexa Woods, is convinced by her assistant, Clarke, to take in a foster kid until the election is over. None of them plan for what happens next. Cuteness ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

a/n: Let's see how this goes… if there is agreeance to continue I will. If people think it is too corny or what not, I won't waste my time. Tell me what you think

"Anya you have five seconds to get into your room, or I swear I will make you spend the night outside!" The girl ran as fast she could past the kitchen and slid across the floor into the room, her socks getting her there just in time.

"Do you want us all to get in trouble?" The girl on the highest bunk threw a pillow down towards Anya.

"Ow, Roma! I wasn't trying to get you in trouble. I just wanted to see if they were there." Anya hopped onto her bottom bunk, fully clothed in her jacket and boots. Izabela came down from the bunk above her and curled into her. She was two years younger and much smaller. Anya had a wiry frame but her long limbs made her ten year old self look much older. She reached her arm around Izabela and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry Izzy. If Ms. Nia makes us do more tomorrow, I'll do it myself."

"That Ice Queen needs to chill." The final girl came into the room, leaning against the door frame, brushing her teeth.

"If she hears you call her that, you're going to be cleaning the balcony for a month." Roma sneered, jumping off the bed and joining the other two girls. The room was cramped to say the least. There were two sets of bunk beds put on opposite ends of the room and a small desk in the middle with chairs fit for kindergartners. Two dressers sat on the wall with two drawers per girl, although their belongings could fit into one. The only sign that the room was inhabited by four young girls were the pink blankets and obnoxious puffy drapes. Reese came back into the room her brown curly hair, tied behind her head. She was the oldest of the four girls, a few months from fourteen. Roma was six months younger but a foot shorter with jet black straight hair. Her small frame was obscured by the large sweat shirts she tended to wear. Izabela was the youngest at only eight with short brown hair and a mousy face. Anya was a contrast to all of them. Her long blonde hair was thin and her skin pale as the moon.

"Were they there?" Reese asked sincerely.

"Don't encourage this." Roma begged. She shook her head knowing the story was about to come.

"No but that's okay, I know they'll be there next time."

"Can you tell me about it again?" Izabela squeaked under her arm. Roma put her hands over her ears in protest.

"There is a group of hikers called the Grounders and they have been meeting for decades the last weekend of the month. They all have these patches that say how many times they have gone and it is the coolest club in the world. My parents used to be in this club. When I was found, there was a blanket with this half of a compass and a note." She twisted the small item which was cut to where all she had was North and West. "Inscribed on the back of the compass is the logo for the Grounders and the year I was born. The note says 'our dearest Anya, may you always find your way and one day…"

"…May we meet again." Roma said nasally, butting in. "Izzy you've heard this story a dozen times."

"I don't care let her finish!" Roma rolled her eyes and let Anya continue.

"I got moved from that area so I figured the only way they would be able to find me is if I went to them. So, every month I go to where the Grounders meet and see if anyone remembers anything." She smiled sadly to herself.

"Do you think you'll ever find them?"

"I don't know but I can only hope they will be better than this." She patted her hard mattress. She was going to say something more encouraging when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Quick get in your bunks!" Reese grabbed Izzy and threw her onto her bed. Roma jumped on top of hers just as fast and slid under the covers. Anya put her thin blanket over her head, pretending she was asleep. The door cracked open. A hand scratched against the wall and turned off the one overhead light.

"You brats can't even turn the lights off." Nia huffed to herself. They waited till the footsteps were far enough away.

"I think you'll find them, Anya." Izzy whispered into the darkness.

"Maybe." She whispered back.

Elsewhere

The woman stood at her desk, leafing through a folder that she picked up from her desk. An unknown hand place a cup among the other clutter. She aimlessly reached out for it, nearly knocking it off. The hand grabbed her wrist and guided it to the warm energy.

"Where's the dossier on the new store fronts?" The woman spoke between sips not looking up from the paper.

"My degree and position in this organization generally affords me a 'hello, how are you' before getting into work."

"Clarke, we have three days to get this together, no time for pleasantries."

"It's almost midnight, Lexa." Clarke leaned against the other desk in the room, folding her arms defiantly.

"Did you are astuteness for time come from Harvard too?" Lexa quipped back.

"I'm sorry Ms. Woods, I'll get that dossier immediately." She knew that if she pretended to be angry, Lexa would soften. She took a few paces waiting for the predictable reaction from her boss.

"Clarke, wait. You know I'm just stressed. Between the company's acquisitions and that whole other thing, I don't think I have slept in months." Clarke hid her smile and she turned around.

"By other thing, you mean the fact that you are running for the mayor of New York. That little thing?" Lexa threw a piece of paper at her.

"Can you just tell me where we are on everything?" Lexa leaned back in her chair and put her feet on the desk next to her now empty coffee cup.

"Well, your majesty. The two store fronts are already up and running. You don't have a dossier on them because I already approved everything for you." She held up a hand as Lexa was trying to speak. "The contractors agreed to do the open window pane design and I already got the building permits to boot. I also confirmed your two appearances tomorrow with the Today Show and the city mission. There will be plenty of press at each. You are down in the polls but I think we can gain in the next few weeks."

"I don't understand it, I really don't. This city needs someone like me. I know business, I know politics, what more could they want? I have raised this company from the ground and I could really do the same for this city." Lexa rubbed her temples, frustrated that people weren't as easy to deal with as her gadgets.

"You don't need to give me your speech. I've heard it…hell I think I wrote part of that." Lexa threatened to throw something else at her. "It's not you Lexa, it's just the fact that you are a strong woman."

"How in any scheme of the imagination is that not 'me'," She put in air quotes.

"I'm just saying, men are intimidated by you and women think that you think you are better than them." Lexa starred at her. "Regardless of the truth." She quickly added.

"So, seeing as I pay you the big bucks to figure this all out, how do I simultaneously not be all of these things to the people of New York without seeming like I am pandering? I will not apologize for how people see me. We are who we are, Clarke."

"I'm not saying change." Clarke moved closer, setting herself on top of the only clean space on Lexa's desk.

"Just focus on what you are going to say tomorrow, and I will figure out how to make people see you, like I see you." She smiled genuinely.

"So as a kind, intelligent and generous employer?" Lexa asked.

"No, more like a self-aggrandizing pain in my ass." Clarke ran towards the door before Lexa could throw her coffee cup at her.

"You know I could fire you!" Lexa shouted out the door, even though Clarke couldn't hear her and she would never do that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a/n I know some people really don't get into a story until a few chapters are established so I decided to keep writing.

Lexa paced back in forth in the back wing of the studios, waiting to be called. She straightened her blazer a dozen times and now began picking at the stray string hanging from her pocket.

"I am motivated to see this city be…be…damn it!" She stopped moving putting a hand on the nearest wall as to not punch it.

"I am motivated to see this city restored to its former glory." Clarke approached her, handing her a cup of water.

"You need to relax, seriously. The more you rehearse the more you will sound rehearsed and people won't like that." Clarke put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"They already don't like me and I'm not sure that is going to change from now to November."

"Lexa Woods, you're on in five." A producer with a head set pointed to where she needed to be. Lexa handed the cup off to Clarke and shook out her jitters.

"Anya!" Nia's voice echoed through the small apartment.

"She's in the living room!" Reese shouted back. Nia found Anya perched on the couch with the tv blaring the Today Show.

"What are you doing? I need you get to the bathroom cleaned before the inspector gets here in an hour." She moved towards the television to turn it off but Anya jumped up and in front of it.

"Wait, please! Just ten more minute, they are supposed to be doing a segment on the mayoral candidates." Nia crossed her arms and starred hard.

"Why does a ten year old care about the mayor of New York or this damn show?"

"It's educational." She deadpanned.

"Five minutes and you better work double time on that bathroom. I want to be able to eat off those floors." Anya didn't move from defending the television until Nia had gone off to bug one of the other girls. She didn't go back to the couch but perched herself right in front of the screen, legs crossed.

"We are so happy to have with us today tech billionaire and Mayoral candidate Lexa Woods!" Matt Lauer pointed to a tall brunette on the couch who looked like she was still in college.

"Thank you for having me." Lexa did a wave to the studio audience as they continued to clap.

"Whatcha watching?" Reese plopped down next to her.

"Shhhhhhh" Anya put her finger to her lips.

"Miss Woods there are many people who are questioning your run for mayor given your successful business and age. They wonder why someone who is so successful in their own area would want to branch out into politics." Anya thought this was a hard question, but Lexa was obviously prepared.

"I'm always told that my youth is a disadvantage but I really see it as the opposite. It is true we can learn a lot from our elders but at the same time many people, over time, can become set in their ways. They are complacent to change. I am not. I can see clearly that change needs to come to this city if we are to continue to grow. As to my profession, along with degrees in applied mathematics and computer sciences, I also hold masters in Political Science and Economics. You say that I am successful in my "own area" but I have so many areas that most people don't know about and I would like to show them how I can be successful at them as well." Lauer was clearly impressed, shifting through his notecards because apparently several questions were answered through her statement.

"Isn't she awesome?" Anya turned towards Reese.

"I guess she is okay, who is she exactly?"

"She is running for mayor. She is like 28 and has a billion degrees and started her own company at 18." Anya's eyes lit up as she was talking about it.

"So you're a huge fan?" Reese laughed.

"I want to be like her when I grow up. Smart, respected, in charge of myself." Anya lost herself as she continued to watch the interview. She had missed the last question but came back in for the next one.

"How do you think your status as LGBTQ will affect this election?" Lexa had been ready for this question. She knew it was eventually going to be brought up and as much as she didn't hide her sexuality, she didn't feel constrained by it. Clarke had been worried that any answer would still cause controversy in some areas but a non-answer could do more damage.

"Ms. Woods?" Lexa forgot she needed to respond.

"Sorry. It's just that this is a really important question. I am extremely proud that I can represent the LGBTQ community but it saddens me that this still has to be a question at all. At one point in the American dialogue is there not going to be this call for separation? Yes, I am a member of the LGBTQ community but I am also simply a person, a business woman, an American, a millennial, a friend, a neighbor. I am bogged down by so many labels that it would simply be easier to be label-less. An idea I think we should strive for. I want young girls and boys watching this to understand that they can be what they want to be without the fear that a label is going to get in their way. Where you come from doesn't have to define you. Be proud of it and use it to work towards achievement. Merit is how we should be judged today. Have I worked hard enough to merit your support? I think so. Regardless of my status as gay, female, or young. So, when you ask me how being LGBTQ will affect this election, I hope the answer will be it shouldn't." The studio erupted with applause. So much so, that there was not time for another question.

"I apologize Miss Woods, but I am afraid we are out of time. Thank you for joining us and I look forward to seeing your progress in this election."

"Thank you Matt." She reached out and shook his hand.

"Isn't she awesome?" Reese genuinely nodded.

"5 minutes are up, bathroom…now!" Anya turned off the TV and ran off to clean the bathroom.

Elsewhere

"You did fantastic!" Clarke reached out a hand for a high five because her paper filled hands could not afford a hug.

"That was exhilarating. Did you see his face? I think I just scared Matt Lauer." Lexa walked back to her assigned dressing room to change for the next event. As she took off the stuffy suit behind the drapes, Clarke filled her in on the rest of their day.

"The city mission is serving a meal for Christmas in July and you will be helping. Jeans and a shirt would be nice and approachable. Indra will be here in fifteen to pick us up. Also, Gustus has called three time wanting to know why you didn't tell him about the interview." Lexa peeked out from the curtain, obviously a little nervous.

"Please take care of it." Her eyes pleaded with Clarke and she turned her face into a frown for added measure.

"Lexa he is your father, this is going to end bad for all of us." Lexa stayed with her puppy eyes.

"Fine I will tell him your phone broke and I forgot to do it. Okay?" Lexa folded her hands muttering thank you a dozen times. Clarke tapped out a message on her phone to him while Lexa finished changing.

"Ready?" She popped out and grabbed her purse with clothes back in tow. She wore dark jeans with boots and t shirt with the New York Gians logo on the front. Clarke looked up from her fun and chuckled.

"Nice touch with the shirt, you sure the jets fans aren't going to be mad?" She feigned fear but turned around revealing the Jets logo on the back. Clarke shook her head annoyed and led them down a back hallway towards the secure exit. Indra was waiting right where she said she would be. She already had the car door open and the air conditioning blasting.

"Indra did you see it?!" Lexa asked excitedly.

"Have I ever missed one of your performances?" She quirked an eye brow.

"Not since I was 12." She pecked Indra on the forehead as she got in the car. Since Lexa was young, Indra lived next door and provided private security for the big wigs of New York. When Lexa first became big, Indra insisted that she needed someone there to protect her. Lexa refused on a number of occasions but it was Indra's persistence that led to the partnership they had now. Lexa didn't go anywhere without Indra and Indra never let anything happen to her.

"By the way we have a guest." Indra shouted a little too late. Lexa was already in the car, face to face with a large man with a beard. Clarke looked to Indra for an answer and got a sly grin in response.

"I would have said you looked beautiful on camera little Heda had I known that you were going to be." Lexa squished her eyes knowing she had been caught.

"Sorry ain nontu." Sorry father, she muttered in his broken language. Gustus was from a small town in Croatia where their language had developed its own version of slangs. His accent was evident when he spoke, especially his native tongue, and he had taught Lexa much of these small phrases.

"Hi Mr. Woods." Clarke jumped in hoping to make everything less awkward.

"plavuša won." Blonde one, he muttered indifferently.

"Dosta, et pleni." Enough already. Lexa gave him a hard stare.

"Where are we off to now?" He questioned.

"Well, we are going to the city mission on West 35st and then just business work for the rest of the day." Clarke answered.

"Fun, I shall join you. I was thinking about seeing Coney Island today, anyways." Lexa rolled her eyes because she knew there was no arguing.

The child protective services agent had come right at 9:00 as he did every other month, especially in the summer. They all pretended to play games with each other and acted like well-adjusted members of society.

"This is so boring." Anya sighed. She continued to put a fake grin on her teeth and braid Izzy's hair. Nia was showing the man around the house, shamelessly flirting with him even though he was half her age. Anya ran after them towards the bathroom, she knew she had left a bottle of the Ice Queens "special pills" in the cabinet on purpose for leverage. Nia was in the bathroom first and was showing him the clean shower and organized toothbrushes.

"Miss Nia can I go to the library?" Anya asked innocently. Nia was about to say no as she opened the cabinet to show inside and saw her bottle. She glared down at the girl who was distracting the CPS agent.

"Wow, I wish I could get my kids to want to go to the library." He commented. Anya smiled at him but was looking past towards Nia, signaling that it was her move.

"Yes, sweetie go on and fill that head with some knowledge." Anya won the battle and she in turn distracted the man long enough with her favorite book list for Nia to put the bottle in her bra. When she was done, Anya skipped out of the room. "Thanks." She shouted behind her.

"Where are you going?" Roma asked.

"On an adventure! I might go to Coney Island!" Anya grabbed her back pack and the few dollars she had to her name.

"How exactly are you going to get there?"

"I'll use the cuteness factor, and I heard that Jaha needed help putting away stuff at his shop." She waved goodbye and flew down the stairs. She looked both ways to cross the street and ran the block to Jaha's corner market.

"What do you need to day short stuff?" He joked, rubbing his knuckles on her head.

"fifteen bucks to go on an adventure." She whispered shyly.

"Does Nia know about this?" She nodded her head yes.

"I doubt that but come on back, I have some boxes I need you to put in the fridge. It's not fifteen bucks worth of work but if you give those flowers to miss Nia later, I think we will call it even." Anya grimaced at the idea of Jaha courting Nia. She stuck her tongue out and pretended to put her finger down her throat. He laughed but she quickly stopped when he dangled two tens over her head.

"Put in a good word and I'll throw in five." She quickly did the work and was on the bus in less than an hour. She loved the beach and sand, it made her feel like her life wasn't always going to be stuck four to a room, with no one caring about who she was.

"Lexa come back!" Clarke and Gustus were running after the girl. She was still wiping the mashed potatoes that had just been spit on her face. The media had caught the whole situation. A guy had some strong opinions about women in office and showed them with food. Lexa had never been so humiliated. She just wanted to get away from anything resembling a camera. She ran up two blocks and crossed the street towards the beach. Her speed was too much for the other two and she able to make it to the pier in peace. She started doing her breathing exercises and put her head between her legs, attempting to let off the frustration. She sat a dozen yards from the end of the pier and tried to meld in with the crowd, but the cloudy day made it an unpopular spot. She distracted herself by looking around at other people. Her eyes caught a little girl playing in the sand by herself. Lexa looked around but it wasn't apparent that any parents were with her. She stopped focusing on the girl when a back of boys chasing a dog, ran by. They were throwing sand at him and if Lexa was about to call out to them. She was beat to the punch by the little girl who was now chasing them towards her.

"Stop it!" Anya yelled. Her feet weren't moving as fast in the sand and she nearly tripped. She saw the boys throwing things at a poor dog. They had made it on to the nearest pier and were chasing him to the end. She followed behind still yelling at them to stop. Lexa stood up to follow. She watched as the girl pulled a boys hand back and made him let go of the sand. He pushed her down and they all laughed their cameras rolling the whole time. Lexa picked up her pace towards the edge, shouting a warning towards them. They didn't hear her and Anya had already gotten back up and stood between them and the dog. She put out a hand of warning and the largest boy laughed and pushed her again. She didn't realize how close she was to the edge and took a step backwards, tripping over the dog and tumbling over the edge. Lexa wasn't close enough to catch her and watched in horror as she fell off. The close bystanders had just started to pay attention to what was happening. Before they could react, Lexa was there. She looked over the edge and didn't see any presence of a person except the ripples of where she had fallen in. Without hesitating, she dove in towards the ripple. Her eyes burned as she tried to look through the murky water. She saw a slew of blonde hair floating away and she pushed as hard as she could down to grab the wrist that was attached to it. She wrapped her arm around their torso and pulled up as hard as she could. When she broke the surface, she inhaled as deeply as she could.

"Are you with me?" She asked panicked. The girl in her grasp wasn't responding. She swam as quickly as she could with one arm until she could stand. As soon as she got her footing, she carried the girl in her arms to the nearest flat area. She set her down and immediately checked her pulse. There wasn't one and she summoned her years of CPR training. Tilting the girls head back she started chest compressions. After thirty compressions, she opened her airways breathing in. She began again with compressions.

"Come on kiddo, you can do it." She muttered keeping her thrusts timed. As she leaned to give another breath, the girl began to cough and spit out water. Lexa grabbed her to her knees, tilting her head to the side allowing for it all to come out. The girl blinked her eyes and squinted because the sun was in them.

"You're okay." Lexa muttered, barely being able to breathe herself. "You're safe." She wiped the strands of hair out of her face. Clapping erupted around her and cameras from the mission had somehow arrived. She looked up and Clarke and Gustus were standing on the bank in disbelief. She was still crouched over the young girl, who had begun to sit up.

"Thank you." She croaked. Lexa put a finger to her own lips.

"Don't speak, strik won." Don't speak little one, she muttered. Anya looked at her confused.

"You're safe now, that's all that matters." Lexa moved her hand to brush the hair that had stuck to the front of Anya's face. Someone had called the EMS because Lexa could hear the siren's in the distance. She collapsed backwards off her knees, the adrenaline finally subsiding. Anya remained on her lap, slightly sitting to prevent anymore choking. The EMS approached with a board and started transferring her onto it. She wouldn't let go of Lexa's hand. Lexa squeezed it and pulled her hand with them as they positioned her on the board. She didn't let go as they lifted her up and moved her to the ambulance, either. As they reached the door, they told her she couldn't come with them. Lexa reluctantly let go., much to Anya's protest.

"Hey, my name is Lexa, what is yours? Just spell it in my hand." Anya used her finger to spell out the letters.

"Anya?" She nodded slightly, the neck brace restricting her movements.

"Anya these men are going to take really good care of you and when you get better I want you to call me, okay?" Anya did her same strained nod. Lexa reached into her soaked jeans and pulled out her wallet. One of her business cards wasn't completely damaged. She laid it in the girl's hand and smiled.

"Ma'am we really need to get her to the hospital." Lexa understood and smiled her most confident smile for the girl so there was no doubt that she wasn't scared. As the ambulance drove off, another EMT came up to assess Lexa. He was followed by a police officer.

"Ma'am can you tell us what happened, please?" She detailed the boys chasing a dog and how the girl had followed them, leading to the water rescue.

"And did you see her with any parents or family?" She shook her head no. She winced as the medic but a strip over her busted eye brow and scratch along her cheek. She must have nicked a branch when she was coming up in the water, she thought to herself. As soon as the scene was cleared, Clarke and Gustus rushed to her.

"What was that, superman?" Clarke carefully inspected Lexa's injuries from top to bottom. She grazed over the cut on her forehead and pulled on both hands, back and front, to make sure there was nothing wrong with them either. Clarke, happy with her inspection, took a step back. Gustus simply put a kiss on her forehead and gave her a strong hug.

"You are too brave sometimes, heda." Lexa's eyes shot up at the endearing term.

"Not 'little Heda'?" She questioned, referring to his need to only refer to her as the little commander.

"Not today, my daughter." She smiled, embracing him more.

"Clarke I want to know how the girl is doing as soon as you can. Her name is Anya and based on where we are I assume they are taking her to CIH. I also am in need of a new set of clothes and potentially a new phone." She took the fried gadget out of her back pocket and laid it on the bench next to her.

"I can handle all of that."

Later that evening

Lexa sat on her couch in sweats. The hour shower she took still didn't make her feel clean after that dip into the ocean. She squinted at her television, unable to make out the headlines. Even with her glasses, her eyes had not recovered from the salt water. There was a knock at the door but because her pent house was secured by a hand scanner she knew it could only be one of three people. She heard heels clanking across the entry way and she knew Clarke must have been the winner tonight.

"Unless you bring me gifts of ice cream and pizza, you can turn around and walk your louis Vuitton's out the door." There was no response and she couldn't hear footsteps.

"Just because you saved a cute little girl from drowning, does not mean you are now the lord almighty." Clarke must have taken off her shoes because Lexa had no idea what direction she was coming from.

"I thought the fact that I signed your pay checks makes me the lord almighty." Lexa didn't get to laugh much as a hot box was dropped on her lap. She jumped a little, removing the scalding box as quickly as it came.

"Say one more thing and I will drop this milkshake the same way." Lexa put her hands in the air. As she did so, a cold item was slipped into them. She brought it down to lips and smiled because it was her favorite, pistachio. Clarke walked around the couch and plopped down a few feet away. She extended her legs to where they were resting on the coffee table.

"Have you watched the news this evening?" Clarke questioned.

"I haven't done anything and I might have to go to the ophthalmologist before I watch anything ever again." Clarke grabbed the remote and switched it to the local news. She turned the volume up as loud as it would go.

"And the top story tonight…Mayoral candidate Lexa Woods might have billions in cash but she also has a heart of gold. Earlier today, a young girl fell off of a pier and Ms. Woods was quick to action not only retrieving her from the water but also giving her life saving CPR on the shore. We reached out to Ms. Wood's team and were told that 'Lexa was in the right place at the right time and did exactly what every person would have done in her case. She has spoken with the young girl, who is recovering in the hospital, and will stay up to date with her recovery.' This even came right after a very impressive interview for Ms. Woods on the Today Show. It goes to show that you can't buy character." Clarke hit mute on the TV and looked for Lexa's response.

"I'm assuming you were the person from my team."

"They called, I answered. It's part of the job description." Clarke threw a hand in the air as if to get on to the more important point.

"Lexa this could be the game changer. You are on every major news station, social media site, and paper in the country. Everyone is in love with you because of this little girl. I went down to the hospital as you asked and I found out that Anya is actually a foster child. She has been living in a home on the other side of town but because of this incident, her foster parent is asking for her to my reassigned." Lexa sat up, knowing where Clarke was going with this.

"Clarke." She said warningly.

"I already told the media you would be following up with her. Imagine if they found out you were going to offer her an interim home until, you could find her a forever family or even her parents. I got to speak with her little friends and they say she…"

"Stop." Lexa put a hand up.

"You are suggesting I take in a little girl for political gain?"

"No I suggest you take in a girl who had a rough life and give her an opportunity to improve it. You of all people should understand." Clarke threw her hands in the air, not understanding the problem.

"Tread carefully, Clarke." She ignored the warning.

"You were in the system. You know what it is like. If Gustus hadn't caught you robbing his store, where would you be right now?" Lexa bit her tongue. She knew Clarke made good and bad points.

"Where would I even put her?" Clarke smiled, knowing she had won.

"I can take the extra office and make it into a room in a few hours." Clarke jumped off the couch, presumably to get her phone to make the arrangements. When she came back in, Lexa was still with her hand to her forehead, slightly regretting the decision.

"The best part is you already have your foster license. An evaluator will be over tomorrow and then you just sign on the dotted line." Lexa shook her head.

"Obtaining a child should not be this easy. What if she doesn't even want to come here?"

"Why don't we go to the hospital tomorrow and you can ask her yourself." Lexa took a loud slurp of her milkshake and closed her eyes, hoping she was making the right decision.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are still in the set up stage of the story. The next few chapters are going to be great!

Chapter 3

Lexa slowly walked down the white hallway towards a large sign that read outpatient. The bright lights and feint smell of bleach reminded her of the last time she was in a hospital. Her foster mother, Gustus’s wife, was diagnosed with breast cancer the first year they agreed to take Lexa. For months, they spent their time in a hospital like this, but she never came home. There was something about the constant buzz in hospital’s that unnerved her the most. She hated that life always kept moving there, even when it stopped for some people. She put her hand on the nearby wall and skated her fingers along it as she walked. She wondered about all the spirits that had been soaked into those walls. Focus, she said to herself. Clarke was already paces ahead of her and she moved her feet quicker to catch up. She stopped at a room near the end of the hall where she could hear several animated, young voices. She also saw the end of Clarke’s heel entering the room. She lightly rapped on the door with her knuckle, knowing it was probably not necessary.

“Password?” A mousy voice asked. Lexa was not very in tune with children, mostly because she never felt like she had a childhood. There was no response she could think of that would be relatable to them.

“Please.” She responded sincerely. The door swung open and a short girl with brown hair held onto the door.

“I was going for ‘Pretty please’ but I guess that’ll work.” She pulled Lexa’s hand into the room. Clarke was already standing next to a small bed with a few other children. A tall gentleman was lounging in the chair behind them. He gave Lexa a once over and she unconsciously stood taller.

“Hi, I am Lexa Woods.” She reached out a hand to him.

“Jaha, I run the store next to their house.” He shook her hand firmly, not releasing his eye contact. Lexa turned away from him and focused on the person in the bed.

“Anya, do you remember me?” She smiled even though she was extremely nervous.

“Are you kidding lady? She watches every time you are on the tv.” Reese butted in.

“Or in the paper.” Roma added. Anya threw her pillow at both girls.

“Shut up, please.” She gave them a death stare. “I just think you’d be a really good mayor.”

“I appreciate your support.” Clarke nodded her head towards the girl, indicating she needed to get to the point.

“How are you feeling?” She continued.

“Tired. Thank you for saving me. I owe you one.” Lexa choked back a laugh, thinking about the girl doing her a favor. Clarke cleared her throat again and Lexa was about to throw a pillow at her too.

“Anya, I want to be honest with you. I have come to see you about more than just your health.” The girl sat up in her bed.

“Due to this…incident your current guardian has requested you be placed in another home.” The other girls became visibly upset. They looked to Jaha asking him if he would convince Nia otherwise.

“Please, you can’t split us up.” Izzy plead, using her eyes to her advantage.

“She is your guardian and you know as well as I do that there is no convincing her of anything.” He spoke calmly, putting his hand on her head.

“She really is an ice queen.” Reese muttered under her breath. She walked over to Anya and squeezed her hand.

“Why are you telling me this?” Anya asked, tears in her eyes. Lexa didn’t realize what her words were going to cause. She had come up with an entire speech in her head but that was in the process of being thrown out the window.

“I want you to come live with me.” She blurted out, completely skipping the why or how.

“What?!” All the girls said in unison. Lexa began backtracking in her head.

“My assistant has told me that you have been looking for your parents. I would like to help with that. I have many resources at my disposal and together we could find them. In the meantime, you will be provided for and I can be a stepping stone to your forever family.” The girl was obviously so stunned by the offer that she could barely put words together. Jaha, on the other hand, had more concerns.

“I’m sorry but what makes you qualified to take care of a ten year old when, for all intents and purposes, you seem about eighteen yourself.” He rose from his chair defiantly.

“Ms. Woods is certified in all lifesaving protocols, she…” Lexa put up a hand to Clarke’s defense.

“I have had my foster’s license since I was 25 because of outreach I did with my father. By the state of New York, I am qualified to be a guardian of this child. Furthermore, where were you when she was drowning in Atlantic? And where was her former guardian?” Jaha was silent.

“Anya, you don’t know me, but I will make sure you have everything you need?” She addressed the girl only.

“Can everyone leave for a second?” Anya was directing her comment to everyone but Lexa. The girls walked out, followed by a reluctant Jaha. Clarke made a motion to leave but Anya stopped her. “You can stay too.” When the door was closed, she began.

“I’m not stupid…and I don’t think you’re evil but I can tell a game when I see one.” Lexa’s face flushed.

“So, what’s the plan?” She crossed her arms.

“Excuse me?”

“Two days ago, you were down in the polls. Today, you have gained 6 points and the only thing that has changed is a picture of you saving my life is on every news station. The only thing people don’t like about you is that you aren’t relatable. What’s more relatable than being a parent?” Anya started to pick up that Lexa was not the one she should be directing the conversation towards.

“I owe you for saving my life. So, what’s the plan?”

“You come live with Ms. Woods for the next few months. There will be events to attend together but it will mostly be life like usual. I will personally take up finding your parents and after I do, arrangements will be made. Sound fair?” Anya nodded.

“Woah, wait” Lexa interrupted. “This is not what I agreed to. You can’t just use a child.” She was yelling at Clarke.

“Ms. Woods if you give me a room and a bed then you will be treating me better than any of the last 4 homes I have been in. Anyways, what’s a few pictures if it means finding my parents?” Lexa ran a hand through her hair which landed on her chin. She bit her lip, knowing she could still back out.

“You two together is going to be a bad combination, I can tell.” A huge grin started to form on Anya’s face.

“So we have a deal?” She asked, reaching out her hand.

“Deal.” Lexa shook it, glaring at Clarke.

“Alright then, what’s next?”

It took another few hours for the discharge papers to be processed. Clarke escorted Anya and the girls back to Nia’s house, while Lexa met with CPS at her home. They had to do an inspection on her living quarters and had no problems getting approval. Lexa walked into the room that would be Anya’s and was impressed by what Clarke had put together. Although the walls were still the dark navy Lexa had chosen, the dressers were white with light purple accents that looked like spirals. There was a desk in the corner with room for books and Clarke had already put together supplies of pens and pencils. The bed spread was an image of the milky-way galaxy with bright purples and yellows swirling together. Lexa switched off the light and she could see tiny glow in the dark stars were sprinkled across the ceiling. In a moment of selfishness, she almost considered switching rooms.

Clarke was not a fan of Nia from the moment she saw her. Her appearance was messy and her greasy hair was paired nicely with the scent of cigarette smoke that encased her. Her disdain increased as she walked into the girls’ small bedroom. She watched as Anya grabbed a back pack and began clearing out a drawer. She folded a few things and grabbed a pair of shoes from under the bed.

“I’m all set.” She said, her one bag in tow.

“There isn’t anything else you need to get. You will not be returning here.” Anya took a look around the room and shook her head no. Clarke escorted her to the front door where the other girls were waiting to say goodbye. She hugged them one by one. Izzy wouldn’t let go and Anya rubbed her back.

“You promise you’ll visit?” Anya looked up to Clarke.

“As soon as she is settled, we will have you all over for a sleep over.” That seemed to be enough for her and she let go. Clarke grabbed her bag and headed down the stairs to where Indra was waiting for them. She opened the door for Anya but stopped Clarke as she tried to follow.

“This is a terrible idea.” She whispered.

“I know what I’m doing.” They stared each other down until Indra removed the arm blockade. The drive took thirty minutes and it was mostly done in silence. Clarke busied herself with managing Lexa’s increasingly hectic schedule and Anya played with the compass around her neck.

“That’s really pretty.” Clarke commented. Anya became self-conscious and tucked it under her sweatshirt.

“We’re here.” Indra pulled into the private parking garage of a large skyscraper.

“She lives in a hotel?” She questioned.

“No.” Clarke laughed. “They’re apartments just like yours. The building is just taller.” They exited the car and Clarke tried to help with her bag to no avail. Getting in the elevator, Clarke put her palm on a scanner granting her access to the penthouse. Anya stared in awe as they climbed dozens of floors until they were over Manhattan. The door opened and she walked into a large open living space. To her left, was a waterfall and a floor to ceiling fish tank. Straight ahead and down a few steps there was a couch that wrapped around the room framing the largest television she had ever seen. Clarke walked up to the wall and touched a screen.

“Allie, please turn the lights on.” Lights flickered everywhere and the room came to life.

“Lights on.” A woman’s voice repeated. Clarke let Anya walk in a little farther, taking in the rest of what she could see. There was a huge kitchen to her right with two stove tops and machines littering the counter. The floors were all wood and the walls dark. The living room was down a few steps and behind it were window panels instead of walls. The few rooms she could see were larger than any house she had ever lived in. .

“What do you think?” Clarke asked.

“I think I’m going to like it here.” She smiled.

“And you haven’t even seen your room, yet.” Clarke took her by the hand down the hall. She opened the door to her new room. Anya walked in her mouth almost on the floor.

“This is for me?” She turned to ask.

“It’s all yours.” Anya dropped her bags and walked further into her room. She ran her hand along every surface from the dresser to the comforter. She touched it like it wasn’t real. As if the second she moved her hands away, it might disappear. She grabbed the pillow and turned it over in her hands, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. She walked past her desk into the closet. There were hangers and a place for dozens of shoes. She quickly went over to her bag and took out her other pair of tennis shoes. She went to the closet and placed them on the first rack and smiled. It really was all hers. Clarke stood in the door way letting Anya assess the room. She didn’t understand the reverence the girl was giving the room but she knew that it must have been important.

“Do you like it?” She finally commented. Anya was taken out of her trance, moving back over to sit on the bed.

“How did you know I liked space so much?” She didn’t take her eyes off of the swirls of galaxies on her bed.

“One of your friends had mentioned it to me. Do you want to see the coolest part?” Anya nodded. She motioned for the girl to scoot over on the bed. She laid back and Anya did the same.

“Allie, lights please.” The lights went off and the ceiling lit up.

“Woah.” Anya muttered. They giggled together. At the door someone cleared their throat.

“I didn’t realize I paid you to sleep Clarke.” Anya continued to giggle. “And you encouraging this, not a good start.” Her face went stone.

“Sorry Ms. Woods.” Lexa walked past the door. Clarke told Anya to wait there and moved after her.

“What the hell was that?” She said in a hushed voice. “You’re going to scare her.”

“I was just joking. Was that not clear?” Clarke rolled her eyes, putting a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

“You need to work on your delivery, next time…Look, I need to go to the office and finish your itinerary for this upcoming week. There is a triathlon tomorrow for one of the local hospitals. I think that is our first stop. Got it?” Clarke gave her a thumbs up and began walking away but turned back.

“I am not going to traumatize the child Clarke. Please, go do your job.” She stood there until she couldn’t hear heels anymore. She took a breath before heading to the girl’s room. Clarke had shut the door and all she could hear were frantic whispers.

“Allie lights. Allie lights.” Lexa opened the door quickly. Clarke hadn’t realized that she had not turned the lights back on.

“Allie lights please.” The lights came flickering back on and she saw Anya curled up on the bed with her arms wrapped around her knees.

“I’m sorry about that. Give me one second.” She pulled out her phone and put it closer to Anya’s face.

“Say something.” Anya looked at the phone incredulously.

“This place is very weird.” The phone lit up and the screen began circling as if it was loading.

“Alright, now try and talk to Allie.”

“Allie play Taylor Swift.” Bad blood began blasting through every intercom in the house. Lexa quickly hit the mute button on her phone, removing the noise.

“See…She just needed to get to know you.” Lexa sat on the end of the bed. “I’d like to get to know you too. I’m not nearly as scary as I seem. Why don’t we play 20 questions?” Anya yawned.

“Or maybe 5 questions.”

“Me first though.” Anya piped up.

“Shoot.” Lexa slipped off her shoes and crossed her legs.

“Favorite ice cream?”

“pistachio.”

“Kelly Clarkson or Taylor Swift?”

“Taylor Swift.” She said as if it was ridiculous to think otherwise.

“Welp, I’m sorry. That does it for me…pack your stuff you can’t stay here. This is a Kelly only home.” She tried to keep her face straight but it didn’t last long.

“Favorite president?”

“JFK.” Anya winced at her answer.

“What? Not a fan?”

“I’m really a Reagan gal.”

“Okay, Ms. Reagan who do you want to win the mayoral race?” Lexa stared her down.

“If I don’t say you, will I also be sent packing?” She held her eyes. “I’m just kidding I’d vote for you.”

“Good. Okay last question, because your eyes keep drooping which usually means you need some sleep.” Anya looked like she had something she wanted to ask but didn’t want to say. She opened her mouth but closed it again, her face becoming red.

“Come on half squat, spit it out.”

“Are you and Clarke together?” She blurted out. Her face flushed even more, like she wanted to take it back.

“No…no…not uh together…no.” Lexa was getting just as flushed. “Clarke is my employee. She is my second in command and a friend but we aren’t together.”

“I have one last question…do you really want to be here?” Lexa was willing to back out immediately if that was what the girl wanted. Anya jumped off the bed and stood at the end of the bed.

“Stand in front of me.” Lexa complied, confused. Anya put out her pinky finger.

“Do you promise to help me find my parents?”

“Yes.”

“Do you promise to be a good mayor to New York?”

“Always.” They linked their pinkies together.

“Then I want to be here.” Anya climbed into the bed and Lexa helped pull back the covers. She put them back once she was comfortable and patted them down for good measure. Reaching down, she grabbed her boots and went to turn the lights off.

“No one has ever done that before.” Anya whispered.

“Gave you a pinky promise?” Lexa joked.

“Tucked me in.” Lexa’s movement stopped. She bit down on her lip preventing any emotion from spilling out.

“Good night yuj won.” Goodnight strong one. She turned off the lights and went to her own room. That night, she thought of the days in which she didn’t have her own room or a person willing to tuck her in. For once the plan didn’t seem so bad.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lexa awoke to the sound of sizzling coming from somewhere in the house. The smell wasn’t bad but it was disconcerting that she had no idea where it was coming from. She jumped out of bed and threw her robe on. Across the open space, she could see a small head standing at the stove.

“Good morning.” Anya greeted. Lexa walked over towards the counter.

“What are you doing?” She asked groggily.

“Making breakfast…you do eat right?” Lexa ran a hand through her hair still confused.

“Where did you even get any food? I haven’t been to the store in a week.”

“I went and grabbed a few things.” A voice came from the kitchen table around the corner. Lexa peered around it and Clark was sipping on a coffee while reading the paper. She self-consciously tightened her robe, realizing she was only in boy shorts and a tank top. Anya came out from the kitchen with two plates of bacon, eggs, and toast. Clarke thanked her and already went for a piece of toast.

“Nice pjs.” She joked in between bites.

“Well we can’t all sleep in a power suit.” Lexa grabbed a mug and put it under the coffee machine. Anya had retrieved the last plate and set down to eat. Lexa sat down across from her and swiped the paper out of Clarke’s hands.

“Hey! I was reading that.” She tried to reach and get it back but it was held too far out of her reach.

“If you want me to come over to your house at 8 in the morning and make fun of your clothes, then you can read my paper. Until then, make yourself useful and tell me about this incredibly long day we are going to have.” Clarke pouted but pulled out her phone anyways.

“The triathlon starts in an hour. You don’t have to be there until the end but it would be good to be seen cheering them on. There’s lunch with a few big wigs and then just photo ops with the tiny human.” Lexa flipped the paper down, gave her a nod, and then flipped it back up. Anya didn’t want to interrupt what seemed to be a morning ritual with them but she wanted to know if Lexa was happy with breakfast. She started to poke her eggs louder, hoping that would indicate the food was meant to be eaten. Clarke noticed the girl starring at Lexa’s plate and realized how rude they were both being. She carefully uncrossed her legs and kicked Lexa’s calf with the back of her heel.

“Ow!” She rubbed the point of the impact. “Jeez you can have your paper.” Anya quickly looked down and focused on her food. This gave Clarke the opportunity to silently signal to Lexa. She opened her eyes wide and looked at Lexa’s plate and then to Anya. She shook her head a few times until the girl understood.

“Right.” She muttered. Taking her fork, she grabbed the biggest helping of eggs she could. She wasn’t a huge egg fan but it would have to do.

“Mhmmm.” She said mouth still full. “These are really good, what did you put in them?” Anya’s head shot up with a smile.

“I use milk, salt, pepper, and a little bit of hot sauce. Most people don’t like the kick but I think it’s good.” Lexa nodded along, slightly feeling the hotness on her tongue. She grabbed her coffee and took a large gulp, trying to calm her mouth.

“Where did you learn how to cook?” Clarke piped in, shoveling her own bit of eggs in her mouth. Lexa laughed as she saw the hotness hit her as well.

“I was always on breakfast duty so you just learn as you go.” A comfortable silence fell over them as Clarke finished her stolen paper and Lexa flipped through her phone.

“Anya we are going out to lunch with some very important people, do you have any dresses you can wear?” She shook her head no.

“You know what this means?” Clarke looked excitedly towards Lexa.

“My credit card is in my wallet.” She pointed to the counter. Clarke smiled nervously and picked up her iPad, revealing the aforementioned card.

“You’re presumptuous.” Lexa scolded.

“No, you’re just predictable.” Clarke teased back.

“And I’m confused.” Anya added. Clarke stood up and gathered all their plates together and set them in the sink.

“It means we are going shopping!” She put her hands in the air in excitement. Anya looked back to Lexa a worried face on her look.

“Why does she look excited about that?”

“Beats me kid.” She stood up and started to walk back to her room.

“Where do you think you are going? You are coming too.” Lexa didn’t turn around but waved a hand in the air.

“Lexa…” Clarke called out. “Lexa!”

“I don’t think the people of New York want to see me in my pajamas.” She shouted back, closing the door to her room.

“You’re cute in your pajamas.” Clarke muttered to herself.

“What was that?” Anya asked, knowing full well what she heard.

“I said…uh…we could all go in our pajamas.” Her face began to flush. Anya got out of her seat and walked past Clarke.

“That would be silly.” She said, making Clarke believe she got away with it.

In the next thirty minutes, they were headed out the door to shop. Lexa decided to dress casually with jeans and a plain blue shirt. Clarke was still in a two piece suit with two inch heels to match. Anya followed Lexa’s lead and wore jean capris and an “I Love NY” shirt.

“Two hours and then we have to go to the race and then back here to change.” Clarke held the door open.

“Aye aye captain.” Anya said walking through.

“Aye aye captain.” Lexa saluted. Clarke rolled her eyes and locked the door. They climbed into the elevator and Clarke was displeased at the obvious lack of enthusiasm.

“Guys you really need to lighten up. Let me see the teeth. You know you’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Anya and Lexa looked at each other before they gave her the worst smiles of all time.

“Children.” Clarke warned.

“Fine.” Lexa grunted. “But the second this turns into a corny shopping, musical montage I’m out.”

*Cue corny shopping musical montage*

The first four stores took more time that Lexa felt necessary. She dutifully sat in the waiting area of each changing area giving thumbs up to every outfit Anya didn’t grimace at. Clarke had gone over the whole spectrum from active wear to ball gown dresses, not to mention the shoes. There were a lot of shoes, most of which ended up piled next to her. Thank God each store delivered directly back to her loft because there was no way she would have been able to carry all of this. She didn’t completely hate the shopping spree because she could tell Anya was warming up to the idea of owning more than a back pack worth of things.

“Alright children…” Lexa threw Clarke’s previous comment back at her. “We have places to be. We will shop more later.” Clarke reluctantly put down the new clothes she had picked out and grabbed the things that had already been approved. While Anya changed back, she paid for everything and had it sent to the loft.

“Ready for your first photo shoot, kid?” Indra was already waiting outside and they made their way into the SUV.

“What do I say if they ask me questions?” She started playing with the hems of her shirt nervously.

“Tell the truth or say you don’t know the answer at this time.” She fist pumped Anya’s shoulder.

“If you become uncomfortable at all, I will take you home and we will call it a day, okay?” She shook her head. Traffic to the event wasn’t terrible but parking was impossible. Indra dropped them off towards the finish line and walked until they found their contact.

“Ms. Woods, thank you so much for being here and for your company to be such a big sponsor of the race.” An older gentleman in a track suit animatedly shook her hand.

“Happy to help, George. Where do you need me? Can I help at all?”

“Actually, we aren’t ready for you just yet. If you want to hang around the finish line until the last people come through that would be great. We are almost done and I’ll come over and get you.” As he walked away, Clarke’s phone began to go off. She put a finger up to them signaling she’d be back in a minute. Anya and Lexa walked to the finish line and greeted a few people who had just finished. Anya had no trouble talking to people. She was so impressed with everyone and asked them a million questions about why they wanted to swim, bike and run on their day off. While Lexa was giving water to an older lady, Anya spotted a man a hundred yards from the finish line walking in. Even from that far, she could tell he was breathing heavy. He stopped his movements and hunched over with his hands on his knees. Anya grabbed a water from Lexa’s hand and ran towards him.

“Anya, where…” She turned quickly and watched as the girl ran through the finish line area. She had no idea what was happening so she ran after her. The girl had gotten enough ahead of her to reach the man before Lexa could explain that a lot of people need a second before finishing. As Anya approached, the man’s head looked up slightly.

“Hi!” she said extending the water. “You looked like you could use some water.” The man smiled wide, not able to raise himself, and took the water.

“Are you okay?”

“A few yards back, I think I tore something in my hamstring.” By this time, Lexa had caught up.

“Sir, sorry about her. I know you probably just want to finish.” He chuckled again.

“Your daughter is fine. I was just telling her I don’t think I can get much further, I think I’ve really done my leg in.” He reached down and rubbed his leg tenderly.

“Do you want me to call one of the medics over?” Lexa took the finished cup from him so he could return to resting his hands on his knees.

“I guess…it’s a shame though because if they come out here, they won’t let me finish on my own. This is on my bucket list and I was this close.” He pinched his fingers together. Lexa looked at the finish line and back to the hurt man. She placed her hand on his back tenderly.

“Do you want to finish this race?” He looked into her eyes and nodded. She helped his stand fully and put his arm over her shoulder.

“Anya I want you to stand on the other side and make sure we both don’t fall over.”

“Alright Mr…” She let the name hang.

“Wallace, Dante Wallace.”

“Well, Mr. Wallace, my name is Lexa and I think if we take this one step at a time we can make it.” She bared the majority of his weight on the left side and he hobbled. People started to watch more closely as the strange trio slowly made their way to the finish line.

“You look real…really familiar.” He said through pained breaths. They were only fifty yards away and it seemed like miles.

“She’s running for mayor.” Anya butted in.

“That’s right. You’re the young gal from the tech firm. Impressive work you’ve been doing Miss Woods.” Lexa blushed at the compliment but she was more focused on the weight that was currently dislocating every bone on her right side.

“Thank you but the only impressive thing I’m doing right now is not making us both tumble over.” As they approached the last ten feet, there were several cameras on them. At the line, Lexa undid herself from him and let him stand on his own. She crossed the line herself and held out a hand if he needed it.

“You said you wanted to finish this on your own.” He took a step with his good leg and crossed the line. As his foot hit the other side of the white tape, he grabbed onto her arm again for balance. A medic was already there with a gurney.

“Thank you.” He shook her hand firmly.

“Sir, what happened?” The news crews were already honing in onto the most exciting part about the triathlon.

“Bad hammy, I think. Thank goodness this kind woman and her daughter were able to help.” Lexa was not quick enough to correct him.

“Sir, you do know this is mayoral candidate Lexa Woods.”

“Today, she was just Lexa to me.” He smiled in her direction and mouthed a thank you. The press let him be and moved swiftly over to the girls.

“Miss Woods, isn’t this the girl from the beach?” Lexa put a comforting hand on Anya’s shoulder.

“It is.” Lexa deadpanned.

“And what is her name?” Several reporters had gathered.

“I’m Anya.” She piped up. “Ms. Woods is letting me stay with her until I can find my parents.” Lexa new they would have a reaction but she didn’t expect the quick chaos that ensued. What felt like hundreds of questions came flying at them. Even with her years of practice of being in the limelight, she didn’t have a response.

“Ms. Woods will not be taking any questions at this time.” Clarke put a hand in front of the cameras. “She is a certified foster parent in the state of New York and after the incidents of a few days ago, she felt she could offer this child a stable home until her family is located. Beyond that, no comment needs to be made. Thank You.” Clarke moved them towards the tent where George had been.

“You make quite a scene.” He joked.

“Sorry.” She said sincerely.

“No apologies needed. This event is going to get ten times the press now.” He walked away to tend to other business, while Lexa found a place to sit.

“You good?” Clarke asked.

“I thought they would be calmer. Less animal like.” She took a drink of a water cup.

“That was pretty crazy.” Anya jumped in.

“You still along for the ride, kid?” She didn’t respond but held up her pinkie. Lexa intertwined them and locked it down. Clarke eyed them suspiciously but let it go.

“Well, it can’t get worse than six microphones in your face wanting to know everything about you, right?” Clarke’s purse began ringing.

“You might want to take that back.” Clarke held up the phone towards Lexa and a picture of Gustus popped on the screen.

“ai'm stedaunon” I’m dead.


	5. Chapter 5

“Stern look and disapproving head nod.” Clarke was dictating the scene she was watching through the slit in the door.

“Is that good or bad?” Anya asked. She was crouched on the floor across the room.

“Not sure. They are talking in spats of English.” Beyond the door, Lexa was trying to defend her actions to her father, with little success.

“Nontu, this was my choice.” He waved a hand at her.

“It was probably plavuša won.” _The blonde one_. “She makes all of these decisions for you bez razmišljanja.” _Without thinking_.

“Clarke has done everything to help me. I trust her insight” Upon hearing her name, Clarke took a step closer to the door, lightly putting her ear up to it.

“No, you listen blindly because of your…your Škola Djevojka simpatija” _School girl crush_. Lexa’s face began to red partly from embarrassment but more from anger. She jumped out of the chair she was sitting in to confront her father.

“shof op” _Shut up._ She said almost childishly. “You know nothing about my…my hodnes sonraun” _Love life._ “Clarke is an asset to my team. This company and especially this election wouldn’t be moving anywhere without her. She has taken the foundations and built an empire.”  

“No, you built this and the decisions she’s been making lately could hurt this company.”

“This company o ai.” _Or I._

“Yu laik disha Company, heda!” _You are this company._ “This is your reputation.” There words had become so heated they didn’t realize how loud they had been. Gustus softened, knowing he had crossed a line.

“ai'm zao” _I’m sorry._ He tenderly placed a strand of hair behind Lexa’s ear, and held her shoulder.

“Taking this girl in is a decision you shouldn’t have made lightly.”

“I never make a decision lightly. I did it because it made sense.” She shrugged his hand off and turned to walk to the window. Whenever she felt like she was losing her emotions in a conversation, she would walk away for a moment. She needed to look at something that didn’t make her want to punch something. Out the window, she saw cars passing by and the daily routine calmed her. She put a hand on the sill and took a few breaths.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt and I can see where this is going.” Gustus continued to reason with her.  “What happens if people realize you only took her in for political gain? What if she decides to write a tell all about you twenty years from now and ruins your entire reputation? Everything you built could be in jeopardy.”

“That’s a risk I am willing to take.” She slammed her palm on the sill.

“That’s what I’m most afraid of…What if, God forbid, you fall in love with this little girl and can’t give her up.”

“hodnes laik kwelnes” _Love is weakness_. Lexa sneered. “Isn’t that what you always said?”

“Mockery is not the product of a strong mind, Lexa.” She turned towards him.

“I cannot guarantee that any of those things won’t happen. But this girl needs a safe place. You of all people should understand that sometimes the best we can do for a person is offer them a home. I’m not saying it is forever and I am not saying it is just for this election.” Gustus shook his head as if he had accepted her argument.

“Very well. Then how can I help? I feel like I have been on the sideline of your life recently.” He folded his arms defiantly.

“You’re serious?” He nodded in response.

“Fine. She is on summer break I actually have to do work when I am not at all of these appearances. Can you watch her for a few hours in the day?”

“I think that would be great. Maybe if I got to know her, I wouldn’t be so reluctant to support this idea.” A few moments of silence passed between them. Gustus clapped his hands together and headed to the door.

“Glad we got that sorted.” Before he could grab the handle, Lexa grabbed at his shoulder.

“Last thing, you have to let up on Clarke. I truly believe she has my best interest at heart.”

“Fine.” He waited for her to remove her hand before opening the door. Anya was still settled on the wall, arms holding onto her knees. Clarke had moved away just in time and was leaning against the other wall, pretending to read an email on her phone.

“Anya.” Her head perked up at being called. “I am Gustus, you can call me that or Ujak, whatever you want okay?” He reached out a hand for her to shake. She hopped off of the floor and eagerly took his hand.

“What does that mean?” She asked.

“It means uncle where I am from.” He smiled, kneeling down to her level.

“Would you mind if we hang out for the next few days while Lexa and Clarke work? I’m sorry if I seemed upset when I came over here today.” Anya furrowed her brow and pretended she was going to say no before smiling and nodding her head.

“You can’t be as upset as Lexa is in the morning when Clarke steals the paper.” Gustus turned his head giving Lexa a knowing look.

“She can be really grumpy sometimes. We’ll have to work on that with her.” He began to get up but Anya pulled him back down by his shoulder.

“Wait, we haven’t come to an agreement.”

“An agreement.” He questioned.

“Yes, if I am letting you hang out with me then I need something in return.”

“You’re letting me hang out with you, strik won?” _Little one_.

“Yep and in return can you teach me whatever you just said?” He tapped his fingers on his chin.

“I guess I could share some of my secrets.” She put a pinky out. He laughed and wrapped his three times as large pinky around hers.

“You’re an interesting kid.” Clarke commented. “Now that everything seems to be sorted we are about twenty minutes late for a lunch and nobody looks prepared. You two go get dressed, please.”

“Aye Aye captain.” They said in unison, heading to their respective rooms. Gustus grabbed onto the wall and brought himself to a standing position. He walked over towards Clarke where she was actually answering emails. He stood almost a head and a half taller than her. He said nothing but loomed over her so she could feel his presence.

“Can I help you?” She peered from her phone.

“taim yu povrijediti em op, ai will kraj yu” _If you hurt her, I will end you._ He smiled large and walked towards the door.

“There’s no way that was good.” She muttered to herself, going back to her email.

Lunch went smoothly and hundreds of pictures were taken. That night, Lexa and Anya sat on the couch watching the tv, while Clarke paced back and forth.

“They’ve been running the story all day but the big report should be on NBC at 630.” She continued her pacing until the voice of Lester Holt.

“This is it. It should be the first human interest piece.” She finally sat down and held her hands tightly together.

“Alie volume please.” The volume increased to a nearly unbearable amount.

“ _In our top stories tonight, New York mayoral candidate helps a random athlete who might not be so random.”_ Lexa, who had the remote to begin with, muted the television.

“What does he mean ‘might not be so random’” She said, putting the last bit in air quotes.

“I don’t know, you muted the television! Alie volume.” The sound came back on but Lexa quickly muted it again. “Clarke this is what I pay you for. I do not like surprises.”

“Alie deactivate remote control and volume, please.” She put a hand up to Lexa as she could feel another complaint coming her way.

“ _And to our top story now. Mayoral candidate Lexa Woods, who has recently made headlines for saving a young girl a few days ago, is in the news again. At a triathlon for Alzheimer awareness, Ms. Woods was captured in this video, helping an older man finish a race. There helping her is the same girl that she saved Friday. In fact, she has taken in the child with a promise to find her biological parents.”_ Clarke squeezed Anya’s shoulder and smiled down at her. “ _All of this is pretty incredible, but the real surprise is the random man she helped today is actually not random at all. 65 year old Dante Wallace is actually the father of Cage Wallace, the republican opposition to Ms. Woods mayoral seat. This election has already been making headlines being the only race to have both candidates under forty and LGBT. There must be a full moon hanging over New York this week because this election has just become the most interesting event of the year_.” The filler music began to play and Lexa just stared at the television.

“Alie mute, please.”

“That is a pretty big coinky dink.” Anya commented.

“The biggest.” Lexa muttered, still stunned.

“At least we know we have the media attention, right?” Lexa rubbed her head and gave her an ‘okay’ gesture. They all sat watching a silent television for several minutes.

“This might be a bad time to bring this up, but can I still have the sleepover?” Clarke and Lexa looked at her.

“Or not.” She shrugged. Clarke gave her signature head nod, meaning ‘Lexa pay attention to human emotions and don’t make this child cry’.

“You know kid, I think that is a great idea. How bout Friday? I’ll make sure to get everything done early and you can have whomever you want over if it’s okay with their parents or guardians.” Clarke slipped behind Anya’s line of sight and gave Lexa to thumbs up.

“I’m going to call them all now.” Lexa threw a pillow at Clarke as she ran off to her room. Clarke threw the same pillow back which knocked over Lexa’s bowl of popcorn. She stood up ready to attack again when Anya came sliding back to the room. She gave them an odd look, seeing Lexa with a pillow raised over her head and Clarke in a defensive pose.

“Umm…I forgot that I don’t know where your phone is here.” Lexa quickly put the pillow down.

“Like a land line?”

“The one attached to the wall…” Anya mimed picking up a phone and pressing in buttons.

“I don’t have one of those actually. You can use mine if you want.” Lexa reached over to the couch to grab hers.

“No need.” Clarke jumped off the couch and ran to her purse. “I was planning on giving this to you tomorrow but tonight will do.” She handed Anya a pink box. Anya pulled off the top and a cell phone was inside.

“This is mine?” She asked unbelievingly.

“I figured if you will be staying with Gustus for the day, it might be smart to have at least one person with technology.”

“Clarke…” Lexa’s voice was warning.

“It’s not my fault your father refuses to use the technology that his own daughter produces.” She ignored the rest of Lexa’s comments and turned her attention back to Anya who was already pressing buttons.

“I have programmed all of our numbers including her personal office phone, sometimes she turns off her regular phone because she doesn’t want to be distracted but she always answers this one.” Anya ran off to her room again to call her friends.

“Why didn’t you just foster the kid, you are obviously ten times better than me at this.” Lexa commented. Clarke went back to her position on the couch, picking up some of the popcorn that had spilt.

“Oh just wait until Friday, I am going to be a hundred times better than you.” Lexa was on her knees picking up the pieces that had fallen under the couch. Her head popped up at Clarke’s comment.

“How much is this going to cost me?”

“You can’t put a price on fun.” Clarke threw a piece of popcorn in her face for good measure.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N I am going to try and incorporate other characters but this is meant to be super Clexa focused. J

By Thursday, everyone fell into a routine. Lexa and Clarke would work as normal except for the few appearances that were required and Gustus watched Anya during the day. In the evenings, they went to a ribbon cutting for Lexa’s store, a statue dedication and a music event in the park. The media had fallen in love with Anya. At every event, she did something unexpected. From accidentally dropping the scissors at the opening to getting on the stage and playing the drums at the concert. Everyone was completely affected by her charm. There was something about her happiness that infected anyone who talked to her. Her smile started in her eyes and by the time it reached her lips, you couldn’t help but smile yourself.  Lexa had to stop herself from wanting to fade into the background. The cameras didn’t want her but Anya made sure that they wouldn’t have a choice. She would grab her and drag her on the stage to dance even if her best moves looked like a willow tree waving in the wind.

Lexa sat on the couch flipping through her tablet at the pictures that were circulating through the media. She was already almost completely tied in the polls. As she swiped to a picture of Anya playing chess with an old man in the park when they were supposed to be listening to the dedication of a new fountain, she felt a pang of guilt. The conflict never stopped in her mind. Anya was obviously the reason for Lexa’s recent popularity and she felt like she was using her. At the same time, she knew she was giving the kid opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise.

“Whatcha thinking about Heda?” Lexa blinked out of her thoughts as Anya jumped on the couch next to her.

“Who told you to call me that?”

 “Gustus. He says it means commander. Why does he call you that?” Lexa put her tablet down and slid her legs up on the couch so she could lean back.

“It’s a joke that happened to stick. When I was younger, my br…my brother didn’t like me very much. He said I was too bossy. So, Gustus would call me little Heda…the little commander.” Her eyes glossed over as she thought about the memory.

“I didn’t know you had a brother. How old is he?” She asked surprised.

“He would have been 30 this November.” Anya picked up on the use of past tense. She slid closer and put her hand over Lexa’s.

“I’m sorry.” Lexa uncomfortably patted her back. She was not very good at expressing herself or accepting emotions. She had taught herself for a long time that they would only hold her back.

“It was a very long time ago.” Lexa spoked distantly. 

“What are you two talking about?” Gustus appeared in the entry way.

“Damir.” She mumbled. He went stiff.

“osir nou telk gon bilaik” _we do not talk about that._ He said gruffly. Anya got off the couch and wrapped her arms around Gustus, only reaching half way up his torso.

“I’ve lost people too.” She said into his side. He put a hand on her shoulder and closed his eyes, a tear slipping out.

“Go wash up for dinner.” She complied, running off towards her bathroom. He walked down to the couch where Lexa was still starring off and out the window.

“She asked.” Her eyes refused to meet his. “She asked why you call me Heda. It was just nice…to say his name out loud.” She bit her lips, forcing the tears to stay behind her eyes.

“We must always look forward. No matter how hard that is.” She looked at him, all of her will power leaving with the first tear that fell down her cheek. He sat down next to her and opened his arm. “Two minutes.” He said as she curled into his side.

“I miss them.” She whispered into his chest. “All of them.”

“I do too.” He kissed the top of her head. After the prescribed time, he let her go.

“I made your favorites. Let’s eat.” He offered his hand and helped her off of the couch. She helped him set the table and went to get drinks for everyone. Anya came in dressed in pajamas and sat down at her spot.

“Questionable dinner attire, but I approve.” Lexa commented, wiping any remaining tears from her eyes.

“There are no cameras around so this girl is taking a break.” They brought the remaining food into the dining room.

“Where’s Clarke?”

“Surprisingly, Clarke has a life outside of working. I’m not sure where she is but she said she needed a night off.  If I’m quoting it correctly she said ‘if I have to spend five more minutes in the same air space as you, I might vote for Cage.’”

“Harsh.” Anya looked at the food on the table suspiciously. There were various flat pieces of bread that looked like it didn’t know whether it wanted to be a quesadilla or a pancake. In the other bowls, there was pudding, fruit, and whipped cream. Lexa had already forked a pancadilla onto her plate and scooped the pudding into it.

“What in the world is this?” She asked.

“You’ve never had crepes before?” Lexa looked at her in disbelief.

“This is a crepe.” She picked up another pancadilla. “You fill it with this, and then put fruit and whipped cream on top. It’s like dessert for dinner.” Anya forked one for herself and spun it around in front of her face, examining it. She put it to her nose and smelled it. There was a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. She plopped it down on her plate and went to scoop the pudding. She also looked at this questioningly. She looked over at how much Lexa had put on and put a little less.

“What do I do now?” Gutus and Lexa eyed each other, both holding back laughs.

“You roll it up like this.” Gustus reached over her and tightly wound the crepe. “Now, you can put fruit and the topping on it.” She spooned some strawberries on top and a dollop of whipped cream. She cut one piece off and held it in the air, eyeing the whole concoction. She hesitated before she put it in her mouth. Two chews in, her eyes lit up.

“This is amazing.” She said mouth still full.

“No talking with food in your mouth.” Lexa warned, holding her fork towards the girl before getting a bite for herself. Anya swallowed quickly.

“This is considered dinner? Seriously?”

“It was Lexa’s favorite food growing up. Crepe Thursdays used to be a tradition. I think we might have to bring it back.”

“I vote yes…do I get a vote…If I get a vote I say yes.” She tore into the rest of her food and quickly prepared another one. Gustus leaned over towards Lexa to where only she could hear him.

“It’s like watching you try it for the first time all over again.” He shouldered her with his own, smiling. 

_Elsewhere_

“Stop starring at your phone, please. This is a party.” The girl took Clarke’s phone out of her hand.

“Raven give it back! There could be an emergency.” She reached up to where Raven was holding her phone out of reach.

“The slave driver can solve a crisis by herself for the next 6 hours.” She powered the phone down and put went over to the kitchen.

“Bell can you put this on top of something that Clarke can’t reach?”

“Don’t drag me into this, babe.” He gave her his best puppy eyes.

“Who are you more afraid of?” Raven crossed her arms, raising her eyebrow.

“I plead the fifth.” He said not committedly. Raven’s stare was too much and he grabbed the phone, putting it in the cabinet above the fridge. He turned back towards her. “Happy?” She stood on her toes, pecking him on the lips. “Tremendously, thank you.”

She turned back to Clarke. “Now, no distractions just your best friends in the world and alcohol.” She poured Clarke a glass of wine and handed it to her. They walked into the living room where their two other friends were waiting.

“This is the lamest dinner party ever.” Octavia commented, nibbling on a cracker.

“O, first of all, this isn’t a dinner party. This is just friends who all have the same night off coming together to catch up. Second, if you want something that wasn’t provided, you should have brought it.”

“Shots fired.” Lincoln said under his breath. Octavia elbowed him in the stomach.

“You guys are so childish.” Clarke rolled her eyes.

“Speaking of children, Clarke, didn’t the all-powerful Oz just adopt a kid?” Bellamy shot back.

“I thought the rule was no work talk.” She looked to Raven for support.

“Come on, you work for one of the most important people in New York, right now. You should be required to talk about it.”

“Fine. Lexa…” She made a point to use her real name because her friends never did. “…didn’t adopt a child. She is fostering a child.”

“The kid she saved from drowning, right?” Lincoln added all eyes going to him. “What, I watch the news.” He defended.

“Yes. Anya is staying with us until she gets her family back.” Clarke immediately realized the mistake she made.

“Us?” Raven questioned.

“Her. Lexa. She is staying with Lexa.”

“No, you definitely said ‘us’.”

“No, I didn’t.” Clarke muttered into her gulp of wine.

“Are you going domestic with the Wicked Witch of the West Side?” Bellamy added.

“I thought she was the all-powerful Oz.” Clarke said mockingly.

“Fine, have you peaked behind the curtain.”

“Noooo.” She drew out the ‘o’s’ for several seconds.

“Lexa is my boss. I run day to day operations, organize press events and occasionally make sure she eats. There is nothing beyond a platonic work relationship.”

“And how many times do you say that to yourself in the mirror every morning.” Clarke got up from the chair she was sitting in and put her drink on the counter.

“I’m leaving.” Raven grabbed her from behind and dragged her back to her chair.

“Sit your ass down and take our abuse. We see you once a month, if you were here every day, then maybe we wouldn’t bombard you.” Clarke forcefully grabbed her glass and finished it. A tense silence fell over the room.

“So, is Lexa good with kids? Because we all know that is a big point on your list.” Lincoln couldn’t get his comment out with a straight face. The room interrupted with laughter as Clarke sunk deeper into the couch, putting a pillow over her face. She put her finger up and flipped off everyone.

The next morning, Clarke trudged into her office, silently wishing she had designed the room with no windows or any form of light. She threw her purse on a chair in the corner and slid into her chair. She looked around at the piles of paper on her desk and put her head down on top of the largest stack. She stood there for several minutes until she felt a presence near her. She turned her head slightly and could see a pair of heels standing at her door. She moved her eyes up from the shoes to the long legs, the tight skirt, and finally up to the slightly revealing blouse. She didn’t mind the view until her eyes reached the head attached to the appealing body. Lexa’s head was cocked to the side, her lips curled into a knowing smirk.

“Late night?” She spoke louder than necessary. Clarke grunted in response.

“I’m going to shut the door. Come see me when you don’t hate all of your senses.” Clarke put a thumb up over her head. She heard heel clicking come closer and something rustled on her desk. She didn’t move as the lights turned off and the door closed. She raised her head enough to see a brown bag and a coffee cup. She used her toes to pull her chair in closer and reached over to grab both items. She tasted the coffee and moaned into the cup. It was exactly what she needed. Setting the cup down, she tore into the bag. There was a piece of paper folded and a Tupperware container. She unfolded the note and squinted her eyes to read it. _We missed you last night-Anya_. Inside the container was a strawberry crepe and two Advil. She walked out of her office down the hall. Lexa hadn’t even put her bag down yet.

Clarke lightly tapped on the door. “Thank you.” She wobbled awkwardly on her heels, holding her hands behind her.

“It wasn’t from me.” She didn’t look up from the papers she was organizing on her desk.

“Because the ten year old knows how I take my coffee order and that I only take advil after a hangover.” Clarke teased.

“She’s very perceptive.” Lexa sat in her desk and logged on to her computer. Clarke didn’t understand why Lexa wasn’t being her usual, teasing self. On any other day, she would have given her hell for showing up to work hungover.

“You’re grumpy today.”

“It was a long night yesterday. I slipped into the past a little and I’m not quite back to my equilibrium yet.” Clarke didn’t understand what she was talking about but she knew Lexa had days where it was obvious something was haunting her. It always worked better when she didn’t acknowledge it.

“Are we still on for tonight?” She changed the subject.

“Four pre-teens and sugar…You better be there.”

“Awesome. I’m just going to go back to my office and pretend to do work while actually sleeping off this hang over.” She ran off before Lexa could respond.

 


	7. Chapter 7

a/n someone asked if I would go ahead and finish this sequence and I live to serve ((:

That night Lexa stayed at the loft while Clarke retrieved the girls. Their guardian has no issues getting a night off from the kids. Clarke wouldn’t tell Lexa any of what she had planned. The only requirement was pajamas. She looked at herself in the mirror and threw off the third top that she had tried on. She didn’t have actual pajamas, she usually just worse some combination of a tshirt and shorts. She didn’t even know why she was trying so hard to look like she was normal. In the back of her mind, she knew it had to do with wanting to make a good impression on Anya’s friends. She didn’t want to come off as a hard ass or unfun. She reached in the back of her drawer and found a pair of pants with the NYU logo on them which she matched with her varsity soccer shirt. She heard a knock at the door and straightened her pony tail. She gave herself a thumbs up in the mirror and ran off for the door. Sliding into the living room on her socks, she grabbed her clipboard off the counter. She opened the door and four smiling young faces met her and one already annoyed adult.

“Hi come on in.” The girls piled in leaving their bags on the floor. Lexa couldn’t get their attention because they were so distracted by the loft. Izzy already was touching the fish tank, following the largest one around.

“You live here?” Reese asked in disbelief. “This looks like a spaceship.”

“Thank you…I think. If you guys could just come over here for a second, then we can get this party started.” She tried to be enthusiastic but she sounded like a mom at a PTA meeting.

“Can I just get your names?”

“Roma.”

“Reese.” Lexa wrote both of those down. She lifted her head up, not hearing the third girl. Izzy was still distracted by the fish.

“And you?”

“That’s Izzy.” Lexa nodded, finishing writing them down.

“Perfect, here we go then.” She tore off sticky name tags and placed them on each girl. They looked down at the white piece of paper on their chest. Clarke put a hand over her eyes and shook her head.

“Come see my room.” Anya grabbed all of the girls and ran down the hall.

“Did you just put name tags on a bunch of ten year olds?” She snatched the clipboard out of Lexa’s hand.

“I don’t want to get them mixed up and the little one is definitely younger than ten.” Clarke slapped her in the back with the board.

“There’s three of them Lexa. What is your disease?” She walked into the kitchen and set the pizza she had been caring down.

“Did the package I order get sent up?”

“You mean the questionable box sitting in my living room?”

“Yes.” She said peaking around the wall. She ran down the stairs and peeled off the tape. Some of the foam peanuts spilled out as she pulled out a large pink machine.

“No.” Lexa put up a hand. “Hell no. Put that up before they…” She was too late.

“Oh my gosh! Is that a karaoke machine?” The girls started to scream.

“…see” Lexa finished to herself. She snuck into the kitchen and pulled out her bottle of jack from under the counter, quickly pouring herself a finger and throwing it back. She was about to put it back when music began to whirl from the machine in the other room. She opened the lid again and took another swig.

“Lexa come on!” Anya yelled.

“Coming.” Grabbing the pizza and plates, she made her way back to the living room.

“We can’t figure out how to get it connected to the tv.” Clarke held up a set of cords. Lexa grabbed them out of her hands and hooked the pieces into the wall that connected straight to the tv. A bright pink screen popped up with the song options. The girls squealed again.

“I want to sing Taylor, first.” Anya was already flipping through the options on the screen. Lexa walked back to the couch and took a piece of pizza out of the box. The intro to blank space began to play throughout the loft. She put a finger to her ear, not ready for the girl singing (screaming) into the microphone.

“Who made this damn thing?” Lexa pulled over the box, trying to find the maker. Clarke reached over with the manual and leaned a little too close into her space.

“You did.” She whispered, placing the instruction manual with Lexa’s company logo in her lap.

“I’m firing whoever approved this.”

“This is one of those projects you just told me to ‘handle’.” She put in air quotes. “It’s a prototype anyways. You can destroy it as soon as we’ve had our fun.” Clarke winked at her, pushing the boundaries farther than she ever had. Lexa didn’t even know how to respond. She sunk farther into the couch watching the girls have the time of their lives.

After a few too many Taylor Swift, One Direction, and Selena Gomez songs, the girls collapsed on the couch.

“You guys have to go.” Reese said, shoving a piece of pizza in her mouth.

“They’re too old to know any of these.” Roma commented back.

“Thanks guys.”

“I’ll put in the duet playlist. There has to be something.” Anya jumped up and flipped through the CDs, putting in the desired one. Instead of going to a menu, a song started playing. Clarke listened to the first few bars and started to clap her hands.

“Yes. Come on everyone knows this song.” Lexa folded her arms defiantly. “No.” The girls squeezed behind her and pushed her off the couch. “Hey that’s not fair.”

“One song.” Clarke pouted her lip.

“Fine, but restart the song at least.” She picked the mics up off the floor and threw one to Clarke.

“I get to be Danny.” She shook her shoulders out and loosened her neck like she used to do before games.

“This isn’t American Idol.” Clarke teased, restarting the song. The guitar intro began.

“Summer loving had me a blast…” Lexa held the mic close to her mouth, shimmying her shoulders as she sang. “Summer loving happened so fast…I met a girl crazy for me”

“Met a girl cute as can be, Summer days drifting away, To, uh oh, those summer nights” They danced around as the background singers sang their parts. The girls on the couch were laughing as both women dorkily danced.

“She swam by me, she got a cramp.”

“She ran by me, got my suit damp.” Lexa jumped on the couch next to Anya. “I saved her life, she nearly drowned.” Clarke grabbed her back to where they could see the lyrics. “She showed off, splashing around.”

“Summer sun, something’s begun. But, oh, oh these summer nights.”

“Took her bowling in the Arcade.” Lexa mimed bowling.

“We went strolling drank lemonade.”

“We made out under the dock.” The girl’s giggled, and pretended to close their eyes.

“We stayed up till ten o’clock. Summery fling, don’t mean a thing, But oh, those summer nights.” They hoped around again as the backup singers did their part. Clarke grabbed Lexa’s hand and spun her around. “She got friendly holding my hand.”

“Well she got friendly, down in the sand.” Lexa kneeled before her moving her hand like the wave.

“She was sweet just turned eighteen.”

Lexa pretended to whisper to the girls, “Oh she was good you know what I mean.”

“Summer heat, girl and girl meet, But oh, oh the summer nights.” The music slowed and Lexa stood up. Clarke took Lexa’s arm and wrapped it around her waist, her back now laying into her torso. Lexa shuttered as they swayed back and forth looking off into the distance. She knew it was a part of the show but it felt too comfortable to be pretend. Clarke raised the mic to her mouth.

“It turned colder, that’s where it ends.”

Lexa forgot to sing.  Clarke took her arm again and spun herself so they were facing.

“Then we made our true love vow.”

“Wonder what she’s doing now.” Lexa turned her head dramatically.

“Summer dreams ripped at the seams…but oh those summer nights!” Lexa leaned back doing her best John Travolta howl. As the last note hit, she dropped the mic and raised her arms in the air in victory. Amid the clapping from the audience, her eyes met Clarke’s and something she had never seen before sparkled in her pupils. She stood there without moving, looking at Lexa as one looks at art with a combination of inquisitiveness and awe. The stare was encapsulating as if all other senses had gone bare so that their eyes could catch a glimpse into the other’s soul. Lexa took a sharp breath in, not realizing she had yet to breathe and the moment passed. She began hearing again- clapping from the girls, the next song in the cue playing.

“Excuse me for a minute.” Clarke ran out of the room and into the nearest bathroom, shutting the door as she breathed heavily. She turned the water on and splashed some on her face. Then, braced herself on the sink.

“Shit.” She muttered. She kept repeating that until her heart stopped racing. The devil in her head kept replaying the last thirty seconds.  

“This is not okay.” She whispered. “Lexa is your boss.” As she mentioned the woman’s name, an involuntary smile crept on her face. She quickly wiped it off and shook her head.

“No.” A knock came at the door.

“Clarke are you okay?” It was the devil herself.

“I’m fine, I think it was just bad pizza.” She lied.

“I can call Indra to take you home.” Clarke opened the door.

“It’s okay. The singing just really took it out of me.” She peered around Lexa and where the girls were all crouched on the stairs watching them.

“If it is any consolation, I would have given you a ticket to Hollywood.” Lexa shrugged. Clarke looked everywhere but directly at her.  

“Much appreciated, but more importantly…” Lexa unconsciously moved closer. “…who wants cookies?!” Four hands raised behind them, and Clarke pushed past her into the Kitchen.

“yu laik te wamplei gon me” _You’re going to be the death of me._ Lexa muttered to herself, following behind.

Clarke baked cookies while Lexa attempted to entertain the girls.

“You are a pretty good singer Miss Woods.”

“Thank you, Roma.” Lexa looked down at the name tag to make sure she said the right name. “But you can call me Lexa.”

“Do you guys want to play anymore games? I think I have monopoly and cranium.”

“We should play truth or dare!” Reese got really excited. “It could be super fun. Come on Lexa.” She wasn’t really sure how fun truth or dare could be without alcohol or dares that involved something illegal.

“Fine but nothing dangerous.” She settled onto the couch, crossing her legs under her.

“I’ll go first…Reese truth or dare?”

“You always pick me.” She huffed. “Dare.” Roma looked around to see what she could make the girl do.

“I dare you to eat that entire piece of pizza in one bite.” Lexa looked down at the slice in question. It didn’t seem to be a choking hazard but it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Reese laughed in Roma’s face and grabbed the pizza.

“Please, this is easy.” She wasn’t kidding. Lexa looked in amazement as she took the entire slice and swallowed it in less than a minute.

“Now, it’s my turn.” She said, food still in her mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Anya corrected her. Reese rolled her eyes.

“Anya, truth or dare?” The usually exuberant girl became suddenly shy.

“Dar…no truth.”

“What’s the worst thing you’ve done to the ice queen?” The other girls clapped at the question.

“Ice queen?” Lexa interrupted.

“She’s their foster mom, my old one…the worst thing is when I replaced her shampoo with mayonnaise. I swear she didn’t even realize it.” They all laughed except Lexa who looked terrified at the prospect of getting on Anya’s bad side. Anya picked up on this and patted her shoulder.

“Don’t worry Heda, I actually like you.” Clarke came down the stairs with a plate full of steaming chocolate chip cookies.

“They are hot, be careful.” She warned. “What are we playing?”

“Truth or Dare and it’s Anya’s turn to ask.”

“Clarke.” She had a devious tone to her voice. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth, always. Last time I did a dare, I almost got arr…” Lexa gave her the cut throat signal and she quickly corrected herself. “…I almost got in trouble.”

“You’re boring.” Anya teased. “Do you have a crush on anyone?” She immediately avoided all eye contact with any part of Lexa but her face still began to turn red.

“You do have a crush on someone! Look at her face.”

“I do not.” She defended. “My face just gets like this when I think the question is stupid.” She stuck out her tongue.

“Very mature Clarke.” Lexa laughed. Clarke wanted to throw a shot back at her but she was afraid her body would betray her.

“So who are they? You have to tell us it’s the rules of the game.” Clarke scoffed at the idea of a child’s game having any real authority.

 “I may or may not kind of like someone at work.” Lexa’s face fell a little bit, thinking Clarke wasn’t serious.

“Who?” They all said in unison.

“You did not ask me any specifics. I just had to confirm or deny.” She stuffed an entire cookie in her mouth, forgetting how hot they were.

“One detail.” Anya pleaded.

“Yeah.” Lexa encouraged.  Clarke thought about how to word her statement without making a complete fool of herself in front of her very unavailable boss.

“They work in management.” She admitted. It wasn’t entirely untrue. Lexa did manage the company.

“Oh, cool.” Lexa tried to say it as nonchalantly as possible but it came off with a hint of jealousy. “I didn’t know you were looking for someone…I thought you were married to your phone.” She added the last bit in to try and lighten the tense mood that had built up. Luckily, she didn’t have to say anymore because the timer went off again. Clarke got up to get the cookies that needed a little longer.

“I defer my turn to Anya again. I need to make a phone call anyways.” She waved her phone in the air. “Because I’m married to it and all.” She walked away, throwing a glance back to Lexa who was obviously bothered by something.

“Okay Lexa then I get to pick on you too!”

“Truth. I can already tell you Truth.” She sat up ready for whatever the kid threw at her.

“What about…” She mulled a million questions over in her mind. “I got one. Have you ever been in love AND you have to say who it was. No cheating like Clarke.” She said the last part louder.

“I heard that.” Clarke walked past where they were towards Lexa’s office. She put two fingers to her eyes and pointed them back to all the girls indicating she had her eye on them.

“So, have you?” The girls were all facing her now, all eager for her response.

“I have been in love once. It was a long time ago, maybe before you guys were born…Definitely before that one.” Her heart was not something she gave away lightly. The amount of loss she faced at an early age and even as a teenager made her question if she ever needed anyone else to love her. The few people she knew she had, were grandfathered in already. Everyone else she placed at a distance because having an open heart also meant you had an open wound that could hurt you.

“Tell us the story, please.” Anya begged.

“Her name was Costia. She was my first friend.” Lexa reached over the couch onto the counter and grabbed her wallet. She pulled out a worn picture of two girls smiling in soccer uniforms. She handed the picture to the girls and pointed to the two people. “That is me, and that is her. This was taken almost 10 years ago.” One girl was obviously a younger version of Lexa. She had the same long brown hair, separated into French braids. She had dark black paint over her eyes from where she tried to look intimidating to the other team. The other girl had beautiful green eyes that contrasted with her dark skin. Her hair was also braided but instead of black paint, she had a white sticker on her cheek with what appeared to be the initials for the school.

“You look so happy.” Anya commented.

“We were. It was like a cheesy lifetime movie. We started off as friends and then one day, it just turned into something more. We were complete opposites but that’s why it worked. She always made fun of me because I liked to work on computers and I made fun of her because she only ever focused on her buildings. She wanted to be an architect.” Lexa’s thumb caressed the worn picture.

“Why did you break up?”

“We didn’t.” She continued to stare at the faces that seemed to exist in an entirely different lifetime. She couldn’t even remember if she knew who that Lexa was anymore. So much life had happened between that moment and now. Life she didn’t expect. Life she never chose.

“She passed away three months after this photo was taken. A person who was on drugs hit her car on the way to school.” For the second time in two days, Lexa fought back tears.

“Did you ever get to tell her you loved her?”

“The day before I gave her back her history book and in it I wrote a note telling her how much I loved her. I’ll never know if she ever read it.” She wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye.

“Do you think you’ll ever find someone again?” Anya had slid into Lexa’s lap and rested her head on her chest, trying to comfort her.

“I hope so. I learned a long time ago that people don't have just one soul mate. I think we have many paths in life that we go down and there is someone waiting for us in every path. The people we meet and love help us to get where we are supposed to be. Sometimes those people don't get to stay with us for the whole journey but they lead us to the people that will.”

“That is beautiful.” Clarke had come back into the room. Lexa folded the picture back into her wallet.

“I think I was asked about four questions there, so who is next?” The girls were perceptive and understood they needed to distract her to other things.

“You get to ask the question now.”

“Okay, Izzy, truth or dare?” Izzy yawned in the floor. “Truth.” She said groggily.

“If you could only listen to one artist for the rest of your life would it be Kelly Clarkson or Taylor Swift?”

“Kelly.” She said immediately.

“You hear that Anya, I think I’m going to keep this one instead.” She got no response.  Clarke came back and sat down. She noticed the slight redness in Lexa’s eyes. As the other girls continued to ask question, she tried to grab her attention. “Are you okay?” She mouthed. Lexa nodded. “Just tired.” She mouthed back. Lexa peered down and noticed that Anya was now asleep in her lap.

“Guys it is getting late. I think we should move this party to Anya’s room.” The other girls took a cookie and their drinks into her room. Lexa struggled to get up but managed to stand with the girl in her arms. She rearranged herself to where Anya had her legs around her waist and her arms draped over her shoulders. The girl was completely gone. Luckily she was only tall and relatively light. Clarke walked ahead and got the other girls together. Lexa made it to the room with minimal knocking of Anya’s legs on the walls or furniture. The other girls had already arranged their sleeping bags and were getting tucked in. Lexa balanced and removed the comforter. She gently placed Anya down on the bed and had to peel the girl off. She replaced the bedding and tucked it in.

“Good night.” She whispered to all of the girls. Clarke and her began cleaning up the disaster zone that had formed.

“So what were they asking you about?” She didn’t want to pry but she could tell Lexa was still upset.

“They were asking if I believed in love.” She was mostly honest.

“Do you? Or did you just tell them what they wanted to hear?”

“I know what it feels like but the kind of love we were talking about, I haven’t felt in a really long time.” She threw the last cup away and proceeded to move the clean-up duties into the kitchen.

“Thank you so much for helping with this. I don’t think I would have survived.” Clarke leaned on the oven across from where Lexa had propped herself up on the counter.  

“It was a lot of fun...Different fun than I’m used to but still worth it.” They awkwardly stood there, neither saying a word.

“Do you want to stay over? I bought some cinnamon rolls for tomorrow and one part of that couch pulls out into a bed.” Clarke thought it over but thought she needed some space.

“I actually was talking to Indra already. She knew I was going to have a late night and is already here. I am on her way home anyways.”

“Oh, that worked out perfectly then.” She jumped off the counter and grabbed a cookie before walking Clarke to the door.

“You sure you don’t need any more help.” She offered one last time, hanging between the elevator door.

“I think we’re all patched. This was…” She struggled to find the words. “…unexpected.” She decided. “I never thought I’d like hanging out with kids on a Friday night more than staying in alone.”

“Unexpected can be good sometimes.” Clarke smiled.

“You better get going, I don’t want to have to pay you for another hour.” Clarke feigned insult as she let the doors close. Clarke put her head against the back of the elevator, her mind racing at all of the feelings that were finally bubbling to the surface.  

“No. Anyone but her.” The doors opened and she walked down the stairs towards the SUV waiting for her. For once she sat in the front seat.

“Thank you so much for this.”

“No problem, I wouldn’t want to stay any longer either.” Indra joked.

“Four girls with a karaoke machine is what hell is made of. I might not be able to hear for the next week.” Indra started pulling out of the lot and turned onto the nearly empty street.

“Four at once, seems excessive.” Indra laughed. Clarke peaked up from her phone realizing she had never asked Indra about her home life.

“Indra, do you have any children?” A long pause filled the car. 

“I had a daughter.” Clarke picked up on her use of past tense. They stopped at a light and Indra pulled down the sun visor, a picture falling into her hand. She gave it over to Clarke. There was a smiling girl with beautiful green eyes wearing a school uniform.

“Her name was Costia.”


	8. Chapter 8

a/n I would really love anyone’s input on the pace of this story. I understand the desire for quick CLexa resolution but at the same time it is hard to build a story when you can’t play with the tension.

 

_“Congratulations Ms. Woods, or should I say Mayor Woods.” Clarke leaned against the door frame of Lexa’s office. Her head dipped with a smile as she greeted the newest incumbent._

_“I can’t believe this is happening.” Lexa stood from her chair. She moved to the other side of her desk and leaned against it, nearly knocking over the stacks of carefully arranged paper. “It wouldn’t have been possible without all your help, Clarke.” The other woman walked in farther._

_“I guess we make an alright team.” She pushed a piece of hair out of her face, swaying back and forth on her heels, waiting for a response._

_“Not the worst in the world.” Lexa winked._

_“I guess now you have everything you ever wanted.” Clarke swayed closer, nearly invading Lexa’s personal space._

_“Do I?” She asked longingly. Clarke bit her lip, feeling the air grow thick around them._

_“Is there anything else I could get for you?” She placed her hand on the desk next to Lexa’s, her head moving slowly up to meet green eyes._

_“Maybe just one more thing.” Lexa leaned her head down to meet Clarke’s, their lips barely brushing together. She moved her hand behind Clarke’s head._

A knock jolted Lexa out of her dreams. She shot up, not realizing how close she was to the edge of the bed to begin with. As she crashed on the floor, the door peaked open.

“Lexa.” A whisper came from the door. Lexa rolled over on the floor rubbing her sore shoulder and bruised ego.

“Yes.” She responded, annoyance dripping in her tone.

“Can we make the cinnamon rolls? Alie can help with the oven.”

“Sure kid…just don’t burn the place down.” She could hear whispered cheering in the hallway and pattering leave her room. She pulled herself back onto the bed and sat with her back to the headboard, clutching the pillow that had made the fall with her. She thought back to the last moments of her sleep. She pushed her face into the pillow and screamed in frustration.

“Just a dream. It was just a dream, Lexa.” She swayed back and forth, repeating the mantra until she believed it. She hopped out of bed and made her way to the kitchen to ensure that four pre-teens wouldn’t cause a disaster zone. Surprisingly, she was met by a cup of coffee and the morning paper. She sat on the bar stool and took a sip of the perfectly made drink.

“Where’s Clarke?” Reese asked. Lexa choked on the sip she had in her mouth as her mind flashed back to her very vivid dream. After she composed herself, she sat the hot cup down, not daring to take another sip until she could breathe again.

“Clarke went home…to her house…where she lives…alone…and not here. She doesn’t live here.” Lexa’s response sounded like a defensive middle schooler.

“She is weird.” Izzy whispered to Anya.

“I know but I think we’ll keep her.” Lexa smiled into her next sip of coffee, overhearing them.

“So, girls I was thinking about the next sleep over.”

“We get to come back?” They asked excitedly.

“If you stop calling me weird.” Lexa teased causing Izzy’s face to go blood shot. “When is your first day of school?”

“August 3rd, I think.”

“Perfect. I was thinking that we could have a before school party that Friday. How does that sound? I know they are releasing that new movie about those kids with the magical powers or something.” She continued to read her paper, not realizing the girls stopped what they were doing.

“You mean the Sky People? That doesn’t even open until the end of August.” Reese stated matter of factly.

“I know, but the premiere is downtown on the 31st. I have been invited with guest passes.” Before she could react, eight arms had tackled her out of her seat.

“Are you serious?” “I’ve always wanted to go to a movie premier.” “You’re the best.”

She couldn’t differentiate the voices. She aimlessly patted at the backs attacking her. The paper had fallen to the floor and her coffee was most likely spilt on the counter.

“Okay, release me or I am taking back the offer.” They all quickly got off of her and continued to jump together. Anya pulled Lexa towards the kitchen and made her crouch down to eye level.

“Are you sure? Three weeks is kind of a long way off. What if you send me back…” Her voice caught in her throat. “I don’t want them to get disappointed.” Lexa looked over to the girls still dancing in the other room. Three weeks was a long time but there was nothing Anya could do that would make Lexa send her back to the life she lived before.

“I promise the only way you are leaving is if we find your parents. Okay?” Anya wouldn’t look up. Lexa ran her hand through Anya’s hair putting a stray piece behind her ear. “You are stuck with me, no matter what...I promise.” She put out her pinky finger and waited. Anya linked them together and pulled down. Lexa stood up as Anya went back to telling her friends that they were really going to a movie premiere. It broke her heart that the girl could only think about her future in terms of only a few days. That she had to be given permission to get excited because it could be taken away so easily. She saw a lot of herself in Anya. She hoped to some higher power that she could make the girl’s life different.

Indra returned the girls to Nia late in the afternoon. Lexa had to prepare for a donor event the next night which meant she would be spending the evening with Clarke. She had already given herself the riot act about engaging with Clarke in any way that was not professional. They had always been closer than boss and subordinate because in order for Clarke to do her job well, she had to know more about Lexa than anyone else in the world. That made it difficult when feelings of friendship became charged. Lexa came to the conclusion that she had been interacting with Clarke as she would a romantic partner without realizing it. They would tease each other relentlessly but still offer their shoulder if it a situation became harder than expected. They knew each other’s favorite orders from every major restaurant in the surrounding area to the loft. Their close working relationship would have led to these interactions anyways but it was something more because Lexa did things she would have never done for another employee. They would have continued this blissfully unaware but adding Anya into their world shifted the dynamic. Clarke had always been vocal in Lexa’s decisions, seemingly as a concerned employee. Now, her opinions concerned things that fell outside of her job because of Anya. It was as if Clarke had a say in her life because their lives were really shared.

As Lexa sat in her office chair, she wished that she had never come to these conclusions. It was like realizing you have something in your teeth. Not only do you have to do something about it, but you also wonder how long people had been noticing while you walked around blissfully unaware. She continued to spin her chair back and forth, biting the end of her pen. She lowered the pen to the pad of paper in front of her and wrote the word _Problem._ She took the piece of paper crumpled it up and went for the three point shot in the bin a few feet away. She missed but didn’t care. She just wanted to disappear the problem. It was a technique she learned in school. If something or someone is shifting your equilibrium, write it down and throw it away and a solution will come to you. She wondered if her college professor would think she was cheating by just writing down the word problem rather than the actual cause.  She swiveled back to the pad with every intention of repeating the process until it worked. The headphone in her ear made her miss the fact that another person had entered the room. She ripped out her second piece of problems and threw it behind her head, expecting to have better accuracy without even looking. To her surprise, the paper came back and hit her in the head. She jerked around, afraid her problems had come to life. Her fear wasn’t completely unfounded as the source stood there with the other piece of crumpled paper in her hand. She took her headphones out of her ears and willed her face to stay pasty.

“Can I help you?” Her words were sharper than she intended and it wasn’t left unnoticed.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll just go back home…because you know this is my day off.” Clarke threw her hands in the air and walked towards the door.

“Stop.” Clarke didn’t. “Please” she added quickly.

“You caught me off guard. I was working on something.” She wasn’t completely lying.

“You mean your problems?” Clarke turned the crumpled piece of paper around.

“What, may I ask, are you problems today…Besides common courtesy.” She crumpled the paper and threw it at Lexa.

“This stupid donor dinner.” Lexa lied, dodging the paper.

“Try not to use the words ‘stupid’ and ‘donor’ in the same sentence.” Clarke sat down in the chair and folded her leg over the other. Even for a Saturday, she had a pencil skirt and blouse on. Lexa had opted for jeans and a comfortable t shirt that probably had seen better days.

“I don’t get why we have to do this. I have plenty of money. I could fund this campaign twice and then buy the empire state building.”

“This isn’t actually about getting their money. It is about getting their endorsement. At this point in the election, money is superfluous.” Lexa quirked an eyebrow.

“Those your fancy Harvard words?” She mentally slapped herself because she was going to try and restrain the banter they usually fell into.

“Yes that is actually the only thing you learn at Harvard.  They give you a list of words you are allowed to say and then hand you a degree.” She rolled her eyes for good measure. “Anyways, we need their backing. Voting is basically group think. These people hold a lot of sway. If my grandmother sees that so and so is voting for you, she will vote for you regardless if she even knows your last name. It’s ridiculous but it is the American political system… Which means, we have to make your pitch tomorrow better than it has ever been.”

“I wouldn’t survive without you, would I?” Lexa’s voice was soft.

“You’d have a billion dollar company but that’s about it.” She winked. “Have you figured out the details of that project you’ve been yammering about for weeks?” Lexa had been starring at Clarke’s eyes that she didn’t completely hear what she had said. It seemed the harder she tried to avoid thinking about what exact color Clarke’s eyes were, the more she needed to know. Were they blue? Were they green? When she turned her head, the light seemed to play off of them to where they almost sparkled. She smiled to herself, amazed that a person’s eyes could be such a mystery even though she was sure she had starred into them a thousand times.

“Lexa?” Clarke coughed.

“Yeah.” She clued back into reality and focused on to Clarke’s whole face. “Your project?”

“Right.” She remembered what Clarke had asked. “I have all of the prototypes done up and I wanted to show it to you.” She pulled a box from under her desk and popped off the lid. Inside was a small tablet that was about two phones put together. It was black with a white border around the plastic screen. She pushed the toggle on the side and the screen lit up. She handed it over to Clarke who turned it over her hands.

“This is a tablet.”

“This is not a tablet. It can’t surf the internet or download apps. It is specifically made for educational tasks. I wrote the programming for it based on the common core curriculum of every class in the school system. This is for a fourth grader. It has every major subject on it, just play with it.” Clarke lounged back and pressed the start button. _Welcome to POLIS_ popped up on the screen.

“POLIS?” Clarke questioned.

“Personal Operable Learning and Instructional System.” Lexa waved her hands in front of her face as if it was a grand reveal.

“That feels a little verbose. You couldn’t just call it like… smart tablet. Or learning buddy.” Lexa sunk in her chair defeated.

“I thought it had a good ring to it.” Clarke continued to click through the device. She could pick from any of the subjects and different course work would come up. It had review sheets, homework, quizzes, and tests. Proficiency was tracked and after each module it would tell you what you needed to review.

“This is cool. What is the plan, exactly?” She handed the tablet back.

“Imagine this. Each elementary child in every school in New York had one of these. They could keep up with the curriculum at home, learn more if they wanted, and it sends reports back to a linked admin which would tell you which children need more attention over others. Also, it is engaging so it’s not as hard to get a child to want to participate. We could finally make it an even playing field. They could learn at their own pace and know exactly what they need help in. This is good for students, teachers, hell even parents.” She had gotten out of her seat, walking around excitedly.

“Woah, slow down. You can’t expect to be able to give these to every child. There are a million students in 1800 schools how would anyone ever be able to afford this?”

“That’s the best part. I created a design that is completely minimal to create. For this protoype, I used the 3-d printers in my main plant. With mass production rates, each tablet only costs 20 bucks to make. The software can be handled through a systems mainframe I could put together in weeks and we could create an entire division in the department of education that could run it.” She slammed the tablet against the wall, causing Clarke to jump. “It’s also nearly indestructible. She continued to prove her point by pouring coffee over it. She picked it up and wiped it off showing that it still worked.

“You really believe in this project?”

“I do. Now, I just need you to write me a speech that will sell this without sounding like I am trying to use my seat as Mayor to fund my company.”

“Congratulation Miss Woods, or should I say Mayor Woods.” Lexa dropped the tablet on the floor her mind flashed to her dream for the thousandth time.

“What did you just say?”

“I said congratulations because you apparently think you already have this position.” Lexa laughed awkwardly realizing Clarke was just speaking in hyperbole. She quickly reached down for the tablet.

“Are you okay?” Clarke asked sincerely peering over the desk. Lexa popped her head up quickly. “Peachy keen.” She dropped back down, knowing that her face had to be completely red.

“I’m going to go back to my office to work on this, then.” Lexa waved from her still seated position. She waited until the door shut before she sprawled herself on the floor like a star fish. She sat up a few inches, blindly reaching on her desk for her forgotten tools. She knocked down the pen and paper and grabbed them greedily. She went back to completely laying down and began scribbling circles all over the paper. The swirls slowly started to turn into words, well more specifically a single word. She continued to draw until the entire paper was filled with squiggles. She tore the sheet off and threw the pad to the other end of her office. Looking at her masterpiece she internally screamed which led to an external scream she covered with the piece of paper. Taking a breath, she read the word… _Clarke._ She crumpled it into a ball and threw it at the trash can inches from her. She still missed. Usually she felt better, not today.

“You are better than this.” She said into the empty room. The phone on her desk began to ring which scared her.

“I’m not home.” She shouted at the offending device. It stopped ringing, allowing her to return to her pitty party. She leaned her head back looking at the piece of paper still crumpled by the trash can. She reached out a hand to get it but it fell just out of reach, teasing her. As she continued to reach for it, the phone rang again.

“What do you want!” She waved her arms in the air. Frustrated, she spun around onto her stomach and somehow made it to her knees. She crawled over to her phone and brought the entire receiver down to the floor with her. She swiped the hair that had fallen in her face to the side and answered the phone like she wasn’t just pouting like a child.

“Lexa Woods, how may I help you?”

“Child, I think we have a problem?” It was Gustus, his voice layered with concern.

“Nantu, what are you talking about?” Her desk phone was explicitly for clients and emergency so when Gustus called about not having enough flour in the cabinet, she tended to get annoyed.

 “I think you need to get Anya a pet.”

“What?” Lexa was not expecting that.

“I just feel that over the next few weeks, at home, you are going to be very busy and I don’t want her to become one of the kids who feel neglected. A pet would help this.”

“Like a living, breathing organism?” She was still confused at where this had come from.

“Yes. I think it would really help her.” Lexa spun the receiver cord between her fingers rationalizing her options. Pet meant responsibility and distraction. If she couldn’t entertain Anya, it could. On the other hand, pets meant commitment and buying food, a bed, getting shots. Regardless, if this was something Gustus felt strongly about, she knew there was not arguing.

“Fine but I want to be there. I’m not getting a snake.” She was amazed at how she had gone from zero to push over in under a week. Had to be a world record, she thought to herself.

“Excellent, well do you have a minute now?”

“Sure. I can just leave work and take care of this.” She said sarcastically.

“Lexa sarcasm...”

“Is not the product of a strong mind.” She finished. “I know. Give me thirty minutes.”

“Excellent, Indra and I are on our way.”

“How’d you know I’d say yes?” Her question was futile because he had already hung up. Across town, Anya was sitting anxiously on the counter, waiting for the call to be over. Gustus hung up and gave her a stern look. It quickly turned to a smile and he gave her a high five.

“She said yes!” He picked her up in a big hug. “go get ready, we’ll leave in a bit.”

Lexa begrudgingly pulled herself off of the floor. She grabbed her cell phone and wallet and shut down her computer. As she walked past the trash can, she picked up her paper and tried shooting it again. It hit the rim and bounced back to its former location. She kicked the can as hard as she could.

“how do you like me now.” She smirked at it. After a few moments of gloating, she walked to the wall where it had landed and moved it back to its original spot. She also took are to put the paper in the bottom of the bin without a hook shot. “Next time.” She glared.

She locked the office and walked down the hallway towards Clarke. She lightly knocked on the door and let herself in.

“Are you good? I have to go take care of something with Anya.”

“Is she okay?” Clarke dropped everything she was working on.

“Yeah, Gustus just thinks it would be beneficial for her health to get a pet. If I don’t go, I will come home tonight with an elephant in my living room.” Clarke grimaced at the idea.

“Not an elephant fan?”

“Not a pet fan. I have a rock named Monet. All the company I need.” Lexa bit her lip so she didn’t bust out laughing.

“You have a pet rock?” She squeaked out.

“Yep and he’s never peed on my clothes or ruined my furniture.”

“I think I’m just going to get her a fish. Easy to take care of and easy to replace when it inevitably dies.”

“That’s a great idea because I am not working at your loft if there is hair everywhere.” She deadpanned. “Keep me updated.” She waved her phone at Lexa.

By the time they got to the pet store, Lexa was able to think about the million reasons this was a terrible idea. She had talked herself up to only allow her to get a fish or lizard at most. All four of them walked in like the oddest squad in the world. Gustus loomed menacingly, Indra was eyeing the place for the closest exits, and Anya looked like she had just been ushered into heaven. Lexa put her ball cap on and tried to blend in with the other families making the terrible decision to get a pet. She walked to where Anya was eyeing the bunnies, hoping to push her towards the fish.

“What about a gold fish? Those guys are classic.” Anya didn’t look impressed.

“You have an entire aquarium. The fish don’t interact with you…they don’t love you.”

“Whatever.” Lexa rolled her eyes. Apparently, her pet life reflected her personal life. Lexa pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the fish and sent it to Clarke. _How many of things do you think I could kill in a week?_ A few moments later her phone buzzed. _Seeing as I have kept that aquarium alive for months, I say your capacity to kill is endless ;)._ As they walked farther into the back, Lexa heard the cutest, scariest noise she had ever heard—puppies. Anya picked up on it before her and ran to the back. The worker let her into the pin where she was instantly attacked by adorable labs.

“Gross.” Lexa commented. Anya ignored her and ran to the front to get Gustus. As she approached him, she saw something that interested her outside the window. She quickly ran outside the door. Lexa was still looking at the fish when she saw the kid make a break for it.

“Anya!” She ran out the door after her. She saw a flash of blonde go down the nearest alley way and followed. Gustus and Indra were a few steps behind her. As she turned past the garbage can, she spotted the girl sitting with what looked like an oversized mop.

“Kid what are you doing, you can’t just run off.” Lexa approached and quickly realized the mop was breathing.

“Don’t you recognize him?” Lexa shook her head no.

“It’s the dog from the pier. This is fate.” The dog was surprisingly not afraid of the girl. He padded around her, rubbing his head on her leg.

“Are you sure? A lot of dogs look similar.” He shook out his mane and sand began to tumble off of him. It didn’t prove the point, but he possibly fit the description.

“Can we keep him?”

“No.” Lexa’s response was quick and harsh. Anya looked up at her, quivering her bottom lip.

“Okay. I know you just wanted the fish we can do that.” She let go of the dog and walked past Lexa with her head hung low. Lexa looked at the dog and grimaced. He was going to need at least eight baths and a thorough exam. She took a step closer to it and could already smell his dirtiness.

“Don’t make me regret this.” She warned. “Anya. Go pick out a leash and collar.” She continued to glare at the dog when tiny arms wrapped around her waist. “Thank you.” Anya ran back out of the alley and grabbed Gustus’s hand pulling him back into the store. They came out a few minutes later with a bright orange collar and a green leash. Lexa snapped a picture of the mutt and waited until they got in the car to send it to Clarke with no accompanying explanation. The dog sat in the very back of the SUV where Indra had also bought a dozen blankets to put down. It didn’t take long before her phone began to ring. For entertainment, she put it on speaker.

“Lexa, what happened to bringing home an aquatic animal?”  Lexa could picture Clarke with a death grip on her pen and her heels propped up on her desk.

“We named him Fish.” Anya jumped in. Lexa looked at her, not realizing a name had been chosen.

“You did not.” Lexa couldn’t tell if Clarke was laughing or upset.

“That is actually undecided.”

“Why not?” Anya continued. “It’s the dog from the pier. There are fish at the pier.”

“You can’t name a dog another animal’s name. I’m not going to name my cat bird.” Lexa tried to reason with her.

“Can we get back to the bigger problem?” Clarke said loudly. “You own a dog now when you’re intention was to buy a gold fish.”

“Plans change Plavusa won.” Gustus yelled from the front. His voice a little too happy.

“Thank you, Mr. Woods.” Lexa also knew that Clarke was currently rolling her eyes or pretending to stab her father with the pen still clenched in her hand. Lexa looked back at the dog in the back who was completely unaware that he had just won the canine lottery. He shook again, leaving more sand on the towels.

“Why don’t we go with Sandy? He’s literally covered in sand. That way Clarke doesn’t get an ulcer.”

“I resent that.” Clarke threw back. “But I think that is a good compromise.”

“Anya?” Lexa questioned. “I like it even better.”

“Good job team. I’m going to get back to work but I’m glad we got that family meeting over with.” She laughed and hung up the phone. As she set the phone down, she realized exactly what she had been implying. She mimed shooting herself in the head, and sprawled herself out on her desk. She knew if she couldn’t keep herself in check, there were going to be consequences.

 In the car, Lexa was having a similar reaction even though Anya seemed completely unaware. Clarke had said ‘family’, she thought. Gustus looked back at her and gave her a knowing look.

“Nou a riječ.” _Not a word._ She warned with her finger.


	9. Chapter 9

a/n Someone thought it would be kind to send me a message about how dumb this story was (with many expletives) so I was hesitant to continue it. I honestly said screw it for last two weeks because that felt awful. If you don’t like it please don’t say that to the writer. We are all just having fun with this.

“Get this off of me before I take it back.” Lexa had the paper on her lap trying to read with a furry nose butting in through the sports section.

“It’s a he and he is just trying to show you he cares.”  Anya patted her leg and the dog came prancing over.

“Let’s go Fish, we aren’t wanted her.”

“His name is Sandy!” Clarke yelled to deaf ears as she clanked down the stairs in her heels.  “Sandy. The dog’s name is Sandy.” She tried to gain support but Lexa was ignoring her.

“I would prefer if there wasn’t an animal that needed a name.” She flipped down the paper and smirked. “But if this is going to annoy you, I think I can make an exception.”

“Rude.” She kicked Lexa’s feet that were propped up on the coffee table and sat down next to her, elbows grazing.  

“You need to be dressed and ready to go in an hour. Can you accomplish that?” She didn’t look up from her tablet. Lexa looked up to say something but didn’t when she realized how close the other woman was. Even when they first began working together, Clarke always situated herself within reaching distance. It was one of the things that first annoyed Lexa, her complete lack of personal space. This was closer, almost intimate like she could lean her head on her shoulder and continue reading like it was a normal Sunday afternoon. Maybe she was looking into it too much, she thought. She decided it was best to ignore it.

“Yes ma’am.” Her previous thoughts betrayed her because her voice came off as overly flirtatious. She mentally slapped herself and quickly made off into her room before her complete lack of subtlety caught up with her.

An hour later they were packed into the car headed to the donor event, or endorsement event as Lexa liked to think of it.

“Why do they call it dinner, if it is before 6?” Anya asked, still playing with the bow Clarke had put in her hair.

“Because the only people who want to endorse me are over sixty and like to eat before the sun sets.” Lexa wasn’t kidding. When they walked in, the place was filled with a hundred or so men and women in blazers and cocktail dresses. There was a stage set up in the back corner and round tables laid out in front. People were idly talking with one another. They all stopped when Lexa walked in. Anya didn’t understand why everyone began clapping for her as she made her way to the front table. They made a path for her and she aimlessly shook hands the whole way through, thanking everyone for coming and making quips about their family or common friend. Clarke kept her hands on Anya’s shoulders guiding her along so she didn’t get lost among the clouds of White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. They finally reached a table towards the front and Clarke pointed to a seat for Anya. She ran up on the stage and tapped the mic while Lexa continued to chat.

“Thank you all for coming today. While everyone continues to file in, if you can take your seat we will get started with the introductions so you can get back to the food and wine.” The joke landed and the room erupted with laughter. There was another fifteen minutes of light talking and then everyone had quieted down. Clarke continued her introduction speaking about missions and visions, while everyone ate their salads. Lexa finally was able to sit down next to Anya and nudged her with her shoulder.

“You okay kid?” Anya didn’t look up at her but continued to stare at all of the different things on the table. Lexa poked her again in the side. “Mission control to Anya…” She instantly got worried because when the girl looked up at her there was fear in her eyes and a hint of a tear.

“You don’t have to be here…I can call someone…or I can go too.” Anya looked down again and shook her head.

“Then what’s wrong?” Anya curled her finger indicating for Lexa to come closer. She did leaning her ear to Anya’s level.

“I don’t know which of these forks to use.” She admitted. Lexa bit her lip preventing the laugh that was boiling up.

“Use whichever one you want. They all work exactly the same.” Anya still looked uncertain. “But what if I break the rules?” She whispered, waving her hand over all of them like this decision was going to determine the rest of her life. She scanned the other people but it didn’t help.  Lexa decided this was not the time to teach a child about archaic eating habits. She grabbed the biggest spoon on her right and shoveled a helping of salad on it.

“What are you doing? You can’t use a spoon.”

“I’m breaking the rules.” Lexa put the entire scoop in her mouth, realizing too late it was a little more than she could politely handle. Anya smiled for the first time since they had been there and also grabbed a spoon for the salad. The other people at their table starred at them as they giggled together, slightly distracting from Clarke’s speech. It was a good thing Lexa had listened to it so many times because she didn’t have to pay too much attention. Clarke peered down at the two, now playing with the spoons on their noses, and nearly lost her place.

“Now, I’ve talked for too long. Enjoy your dinner and then we will have the reason we are here come up and talk about the future of this great city.” Clarke walked off the stage and sat herself on the other side of Anya.

“You two couldn’t be more obnoxious.” They breathed on their spoons and put them on their nose.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” They kept completely straight faces waiting for Clarke to raise her head. When she saw them, she nearly dropped her own utensil.

“I just got done defending your age, don’t make me look bad.” Lexa plopped the spoon off of her nose and got another helping of lettuce.

“I couldn’t make you look bad if I tried.” She slowly took a bite throwing a wink in Clarke’s direction. Clarke was lucky she wasn’t swallowing anything or she would have probably choked. Lexa mentally scolded herself. It was just so easy. The ball was perfectly thrown and if she didn’t go for the grand slam, she would have been even more upset with herself. She made a mental note of being calmer the rest of the day. It didn’t help that Clarke was wearing a skin tight blue dress with a collar and deceptively low neck line. Clarke looked great in anything but this was one step past anything Lexa had ever seen before. She felt boxy in her tailored suit and blouse. She was glad she decided to go with bright heels because it distracted from the blandness of the black on black she was rocking up top. Another twenty minutes went by with entrees served and silverware misused. Clarke bumped her under the table indicating that she needed to prepare to take the stage.

“Anything in my teeth?” She smiled big for Anya.

“You’re good to go, Heda.” She put out a fist and Lexa bumped it. As she walked up the few stairs, she kept reminding herself not to fall. There were a lot of eyes on her and they were definitely scrutinizing every movement she made. She pulled out the speech from the podium and the clicker for the projectors that were displayed throughout the room. She started with the normal ‘thank you’s’ and repeated a lot of what Clarke had already said.

“One of the most important aspects of this campaign is to improve education in this city. We have 1800 schools and over a million of students and at times we are failing them. The sheer volume is daunting. How do you give an excellent education to all of these students when there are so many different learning styles, paces, and environments? It has a question that has been asked for decades. I have spent the last year working with top educators developing something that I think will help revolutionize how our students learn.” She smiled down at Anya.

“Many people out there think that I am too young to make an impact in this city. They think that all of you who are here today to support me are naïve. ” She took a breath, knowing this was going to be a well-received or completely shunned.  “But Polis will change how they see us.” She pulled up the first slide and introduced them to her vision. She had stopped reading the speech because her intimate knowledge of the program lent itself to a conversation rather than a diatribe. When she reached the last slide, she turned back towards the audience fully.

“I’m always told children are the future so why not given them the best chance they can get. I have had the pleasure of having a young girl stay with me the last two weeks and it has reminded me of why it is so important to invest in the children of this city. They are so brilliant and kind. They have the capacity to do what we never could and I hope you will continue to support me and their future.” The brief pause between her last words and clapping felt like eternity.  It started slowly with people who had been entranced by her words realizing that no more would come. The quiet tapping turned into a thunder storm of noise, with chairs moving and tables shifting. There was not a person sitting anymore. She bowed her head in thanks and walked down the stairs. As she made her way back to the table, the clapping didn’t stop and people continued to reach out to her shaking her hand. She sincerely thanked every one of them. One of the other members of her campaign took the stage for closing remarks. She sat down and took a few slow breaths.

“You were great.” Anya said excitedly.

“Yeah… Awesome speech, that first part was fantastic; it’s amazing how you can put all of those ideas together so well.” Clarke cocked her head.

“Paycheck.” Lexa sang as she took a large gulp of her wine. They stayed until the last person left. Everything was almost cleared and Lexa collapsed into her chair. She looked around to make sure there was no one left and popped off her heels. She stretched out and rolled her shoulders, closing her eyes. After she took a few moments, she pulled out her phone and clicked a few buttons.

“Hey Indra, don’t worry about picking us up…Okay, yeah tell Gustus we will be back later and to take the dog out…Thanks bye.” Gustus and Indra had already left with the crowd to get the car.

“Taxi?” Clarke questioned.

“Feet.” Lexa reached under the table and grabbed the bag that Gustus had brought in for her. She took out two pairs of flats and put one in front of herself and the other she threw at Clarke.

“They’re your size.” She commented. Clarke was grateful and took her shoes off too. Lexa grabbed the last few things out of the bottomless bag. There were three zip up sweat shirts. She threw them to each of the girls.

“It’s not cold but I don’t like going out this stuffy jacket.” She took off her suit jacket and threw it into the bag as well.

“Why are we walking?” Anya asked, not upset because she loved being outdoors.

“The last time I came to this venue I remembered seeing this amazing ice cream shop so I thought we could walk back to the loft and grab some on the way.” Anya’s face lit up.

“Why do I have to come?” Clarke complained slipping on the jacket over her dress.

“Because if you turn sideways you might disappear. I have been working you to death ad you need a reward. I can call Indra if you want.” She gave her a hurt puppy look and Clarke gave in.

“Let’s get going so we can get back before Thanksgiving.” She grabbed the back pack and threw it on her should, leading the way out the side doors to avoid any of the press that might be lingering. Lexa reached out her hand for Anya and they ran to catch up to her. When they got outside, the foot traffic was pretty slow but there were a few areas up ahead that looked crowded.

“Hold up one second.” Lexa called out to Clarke. She got down on one knee and signaled for Anya to climb up. Anya wrapped her arms around her neck and Lexa hefted up to stand again. She placed her arms under Anya’s legs and picked up her pace to catch up to Clarke, Anya giggling all the while.

“Onwards, captain.” They walked the five blocks to the ice cream shop and Lexa gratefully dropped Anya on the sidewalk. She was fit but Anya was deceptively large because of her height. They all walked up to the counter and Lexa pulled out her credit card from her jacket pocket.

“What can I get for ya.” The hipster youth asked. Lexa turned towards the girls.

“Ladies?” She already knew what she was getting,

“Pistachio” Anya piped up. “With chocolate chips.” Clarke grimaced.  

“Make that two of those and whatever she wants.”

“As the only normal human here, I am going to just get chocolate with strawberries.” They walked to the end of the counter to wait for their orders. Anya slipped away to the bathroom. As she was waiting in line, the woman next to her began talking.

“Your hair is really pretty.”

“Thanks.” Anya shifted back and forth on her shoes.

“Especially the bow, I can never get my daughter to wear one.”  She smiled.

“Yeah I didn’t pick it out but I think it’s pretty. I also didn’t do my hair. They are the only one who seems to be able to fix it right.” Anya nodded towards Clarke and Lexa who looked like they had picked a fight with each other. Clarke had a spoon of ice cream threatening to smear it on Lexa’s face.

“Well, your moms did a really good job.” The door opened and the restroom became available. Anya was going to turn back to correct the woman but she didn’t want to. It was nice that a woman looked at her and thought she was a happy kid with nice parents who fixed her hair and took her to ice cream.

“Thanks.” Anya said again. “They are really great.” After using the bathroom, Anya walked back to the counter and Lexa handed her the ice cream.

“Who were you talking to back there?” Clarke asked concerned looking at the woman leaving the restroom.

“Just a nice lady. She liked my hair.” Clarke and Lexa smiled at the lady and waved, not realizing their action solidified the thought that they were a couple with a child. They sat outside and finished the ice cream for the next twenty minutes.

“Ready to go, it’s getting late.” Clarke commented, realizing it was almost 8:30. The foot traffic was at least pretty slow for their 10 block journey. They got up and headed in the direction of the loft. As they walked close together, a few people pushed through them rather than walking around. Anya got bumped again prompting Lexa to grab her hand. Clarke looked over and decided to do the same grabbing Anya’s hand. They walked this way back to the loft swaying their arms back and forth. When they got to the front door, they split off so they could each get through the door.

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow.” Clarke waved goodbye and headed towards the parking garage.

“Thank you for today.” Lexa said sincerely. Her and Anya headed up the elevator. Anya excitedly put her hand on the electronic pad to allow access to the penthouse floor.

“Can I go to work with you sometime?”

“Of course. Why don’t you come with me later this week? I’ll show you all my toys.”

Anya didn’t hear her because she rushed out of the elevator when she saw the dog playing fetch with Gustus. The dog was just as excited and tackled her.

“Stop it Fish.” She laughed as he licked her face.

“Sandy.” Lexa muttered under her breath.


	10. Chapter 10

a/n thank you guys for being so encouraging. This fandom is the best. Also, if you don’t know the song “Wouldn’t it be Nice” by the beach boys listen to it before you read this chapter because that is the background of the beginning. Also, this is something short and transitiony

 

Lexa woke up happier than she had been in a long time. The tenseness she usually carried in her shoulders in the morning seemed to have completely disappeared.

“Alie, can I get the Beach Boys greatest hits, please?” As she threw on her robe, Woudn’t It Be Nice streamed through the speaker system. She walked into her bathroom and grabbed her hair brush, running it through her hair. She began to get into the music transforming the handle into a microphone.

“I wish that every kiss was never ending.” She sang, sliding into her closet, swaying her hips around.

“Oh we could be married.” She grabbed a skirt. “…and then we’d be happy!” she spun and latched on a pair of heels in the corner, tossing everything out onto her bed. She finally moon walked out of the closet, a few blouses in hand. In front of the mirror, she compared different options with the skirt as the music changed to Fun Fun Fun. She dropped her favorite combination on the bed and began to break into the beginning air guitar solo, kicking her foot in the air and landing on her knees.

Clarke stood in the doorway watching it all play out. She guessed that Lexa forgot they were going to car pool to the office that morning. She wanted to tell her that she was there, but there was something about the free spirited Lexa that was endearing. Adorable was the word that she wanted to use but she knew she shouldn’t. Half way through an enthusiastic hand jive, she decided to lightly cough to signal her presence. Lexa spun around mortified and quickly slid behind the other side of the bed.

“I can see you.”

“No you can’t.” Lexa dragged the comforter off the bed and covered it over her head.

“Any particular reason we are so excited this morning?” Clarke leaned against the door frame trying her hardest not to smile.

“The sun decided to keep doing fusion?”

“Thank God, I was super worried.” Clarke rolled her eyes and clicked the button on the side of the wall that turned the music off. “Twenty minutes and I’m leaving you.” She strutted out and Lexa watched, head cocked to the side with the comforter still encasing her as the heels disappeared into the kitchen. She proceeded to bury her head into her mattress and let out a frustrated grunt.

“What ever happened to knocking?” She said to no one in particular.

They were in the car in twenty-five minutes, much to Clarke’s disdain. Lexa didn’t want to hear it because she didn’t even have a chance to read the paper yet. At the office, the split off towards their respective offices but not before Clarke put in one last comment.

“I am going to drop off some paperwork for you not work related in an hour or so.”

“Okay?” Clarke usually didn’t tell her she was going to do something, she just did it.

“I just wanted to warn you in case you decided to break out into another musical number.” Lexa continued to drink her coffee unfazed, and kept walking. She shut the door behind her and threw everything in the same random chair in the corner. She kicked the trash can a little with her foot just so he never forgot who the boss was.  Her first mission was to get through the paper. The emails and paper work could wait. After scanning all the world news, she turned to the local section and took in the highlights. Her feet were propped up on the desk and she held her nearly empty coffee in her free hand. It wasn’t until she got to the last page that her relaxed pose broke. She slammed her feet to the ground and spread the paper completely out on her desk, making sure what she just read was correct.

“No.” She quickly got on the computer and went to the computerized paper that was in color. The page of interest was all the way towards the end and she impatiently clicked all the way through. Finally, the gossip section pulled up with a small icon of two women holding the hands with a girl between them. The computerized version of the image was much clearer. The text was not. _Is mayoral candidate Lexa Woods getting domestic with her assistant?_ Sections like this usually didn’t get more than one line of text but in this case, that was enough. Clarke chose that moment to come through the door. Lexa quickly minimized the screen and folded the paper up, tossing it towards the trash can but missing. She glared at the offending metal work for betraying her again.

“Okay so you don’t have to make a decision now but I just wanted to bring in my top three choices after much research and debate.” She spoke like this was a conversation they had been having for weeks but Lexa had no idea what was happening.

“What?”

“Schools, top three schools.” She said as if it was obvious.

“Schools for what?”

“For Anya, obviously. Have you even had any coffee today?” Lexa had actually already had a lot of caffeine that morning but she couldn’t focus on anything but that picture in the paper.

“I was thinking Catholic school.” She continued ignoring Lexa’s spaciness. “Great education, small class size and cute uniforms.”

“I went to Catholic school there is nothing cute about the uniforms.” Lexa finally honed in on the conversation.

“They have probably changed over the last decade.”

“Catholic schools never change.” Lexa shuttered. “Don’t get me wrong, I learned a ton but there are some things you can’t unexperience.”

“You’re probably being dramatic.”

“I used to have nightmares about my socks not being an inch above my ankle and my shirt accidentally coming untucked. Legitimate nightmares. Don’t even get me started on the random Catholic knowledge I have. Apparently, I used to sleep sing the 21 ecumenical councils.” Lexa had to calm her breathing a little as her Catholic School PTSD started to kick in.

“I don’t know what those are.” Clarke shrugged.

“Exactly. You will never have space in your head dedicated to hundreds of saints or the milestones in church history. Hell, To this day, when an ambulance goes by I make the sign of the cross. I’m like a conditioned dog.”

“You are a 28 year old billionaire. I vote catholic School.” Their conversation began to catch up with Lexa and she realized they were doing it again. They were making a decision together that had nothing to do with work.

“Speaking of your traumatic experience, I was actually looking at St. Mary’s.” She tossed the brochure at Lexa. Lexa picked it up and saw the emblem she had worn for six years. Conflicting memories of happiness and sadness flooded her brain. She tossed it back and steeled her face.

“No.” She said sternly. Clarke was genuinely surprised by her tone, especially since moments before they had been laughing.

“It was just a suggestion there are…” Lexa cut her off with a hand.

“This is not something you need to have an opinion on.” Lexa knew as the words left her mouth they were too harsh. She was still sorting out her feelings about the tabloid picture and felt like she needed to draw a line in the sand before they never would be able to.

“I apologize Miss Woods.” Lexa tensed as her last name was used. She couldn’t bear to look across at her because she knew Clarke’s eyes would destroy her. “Let me know when I am allowed to have an opinion.” Clarke threw the rest of the pamphlets on Lexa’s desk and slammed the door behind her. Lexa pulled the website back up and starred at the picture again. The problem wasn’t that they had photographed them together. It wasn’t even that they were both holding hands with Anya. She could explain that away as trying to keep together on a busy side walk. What betrayed her in the picture was the way she was looking at Clarke. Even her eyes were smiling at the other woman even though Clarke was looking down at Anya. It was an unconscious moment of yearning that someone was able to capture. Lexa knew she occasionally stared. When Clarke wasn’t paying attention, she would linger longer than necessary, even though she had convinced herself it was because the woman intrigued her intellectually. They were always in some mental battle together and she thought if she studied her opponent while she wasn’t looking, she might learn just enough to beat her. In reality, as she could see from the picture, the stolen glances were because looking at Clarke made her happy. It was a terrible reality because she couldn’t risk losing her. She found something that made her happy again and she wasn’t sure if she would mess it up by trying to push something that wasn’t really there.  

She didn’t know how long she had looked at the screen but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. The smile on her face was something she hadn’t seen in a long time. She couldn’t figure out why the picture looked so familiar because the three of them had never been photographed like that before. She zoomed closer and it hit her.  She reached over her desk and grabbed her wallet, carefully unfolding the picture. She put it up to the screen and realized what was so familiar.  Even though she was ten years younger and had paint on her face, the grin was undeniable. She choked back the lump that was forming in her throat.  

“There you are.” She said to the smiles in her pictures. “I didn’t think I would find you again.” She copied the picture from the paper and printed it out, tearing it down to a pocket size. She slid it with her other photo and put it back in her wallet.

In Clarke’s office, she was one pace from exploding. She had even bitten her lip to the point of drawing blood. It was so Lexa to decide that was the time to not be a team, she thought.

“She wouldn’t be able to make a coffee without me.” She muttered, knowing that wasn’t exactly true. She considered all the different things she would conveniently not have an opinion on that day and see how Lexa would figure it out herself. Mid way through another rant to herself, the phone rang. She almost wanted it to be Lexa so she could let it all out. Unfortunately, it was Raven.

“Yes?”

“Is mayoral candidate Lexa Woods getting domestic with her assistant?” Raven read from the paper.

“This isn’t funny, Raven. I have work.” She was about to hang up but Raven was shouting for her not to.

“Do you ever read the paper? You made the back page.” The phone dinged against her face and she pulled it down to look at it. The picture Lexa had been starring at for the last twenty minutes pulled up, with the editor comment.

“Shit.” Clarke realized why Lexa was being so distant.

“Is it true?”

“No. We were getting ice cream with the kid.” Clarke zoomed in on the photo and wasn’t surprised someone had made the wrong assumption. They did look pretty content.

“If a girl looked at me the way the Wicked Witch is looking at you, I would have been married to them yesterday.”

“I’m hanging up, now.” Clarke clicked the button and ran her hand through her hand.

“Shit. She muttered. Did she like Lexa? Yes. Did she like her as more than a really close friend? Yes. Could she act on those feelings? Probably not. She knew even if they both were head over heels in love with each other, this wasn’t the time or the place to act on it. They had the election and Anya and a million responsibilities in the world that didn’t revolve around a relationship. She stopped herself as soon as the word “relationship” flashed in her mind.

“Shit.” She repeated. The first thing she needed to do was go and talk to Lexa about it. She walked down the hall and gently knocked on her door. She opened it without a response out of habit.

“Lexa we need to talk.”

“It’s Lexa again?”

“I saw the paper.” She got it out before they got into banter and avoided it.

“You know I could have made that go away with less than a sentence press release. Is this why you were so weird about Anya’s school?”

“Yes.” Lexa didn’t admit that it was also because her old alma-mater had a dark past with her.

“Well, stop it…We aren’t together…We know that, right?” She didn’t know why she had even asked it as a question.

“Of course. You have that crush on someone in management and I am happily married to my career.”  Her quick answer discouraged Clarke a little bit.

“So, you won’t be an ass anymore today?”

“Not today.” Lexa smiled conservatively.

“Good. And I won’t get involved in any more decisions that are outside of work.” She started towards the door, not feeling like they had the conversation they really needed to have.

“Clarke, wait.” She turned on her heels. Lexa held out one of the pamphlets and waited until she took it.

“St. Mary’s has open enrollment, arrange a visit for this week and if Anya likes it we will enroll her.” Clarke left before Lexa could change her mind.

Even though they wanted things to be normal, after their conversation Monday there was a tense air around them. They still acted the same but there were unspoken words that lingered. It was the same for the ride over to the St. Mary’s campus. Clarke played on her phone and Lexa starred out the window at the familiar terrain she hadn’t seen in years. Every so often, they would glance at the other wanting to say something that didn’t have to do with work.

“Lexa…” Clarke began.

“We’re here.” She interrupted. They pulled up to the school that was broken into an elementary building and a high school building with several sports fields lining the back campus. As they got out of the car, the principle ran up to them in a frenzy.

“I am so sorry Miss Woods but I have an emergency I have to handle could you possibly wait for another hour or so.” They didn’t have anything else planned so she didn’t mind. Instead of waiting in the car, Lexa took them around a bit from what she remembered.

“We have to go to the soccer field.” As the thought popped in her head, her body loosed up and she was comfortable for the first time in days. She grabbed Anya’s hand and they ran where it looked like high school practice was wrapping up. Clarke slowly walked behind them. By the time she got there, Lexa had convinced the coach to let her have a ball and she was on the field, dribbling in her jeans and jacket. Anya looked like she had never seen a soccer ball before in her life. The other high schoolers began to join in the game Lexa started and they were all passing it around, genuinely having a good time. Clarke made her way into the bleachers with a group of other parents waiting. She sat down and continued to watch as the older kids helped Anya kick the ball into the goal. Lexa had the ball now and was on offense with Anya trying to defend her. Lexa did some fancy foot moves and got past her but Anya turned and jumped on Lexa’s waist taking her down to the ground. Even from far away, Clarke could tell they were laughing not crying.

“Which one’s are yours?” a woman in a yellow track suit had slid up next to her.

“The two that don’t seem to belong.” As she said this, Lexa had jumped back up and put Anya over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry as she continued to dribble the ball to the net. Even with the weight on her arm, she was able to score. She spun them around and landed on the ground again.

“I wish my husband was that good with our kids. You must be the bad cop, then.” The woman laughed at her own joke.

“They do love ganging up on me.” Clarke admitted.

“Kids only pretend to pick one parent over the other that way they can pit you against each other. You’re lucky yours is still young. Wait till they are a teenager.” The teenagers she was referring to was yelling at her to come on. The woman waved goodbye and Clarke didn’t even have time to tell her it wasn’t her kid. She almost didn’t want to. As they kept playing, she took a second and pretended this was her life, her wife coaching their daughter’s soccer team while she watched and did work from her phone. Then, they would go home to a meal one of them cooked and plan out PTO meetings and class projects. Her daydream was cut short when a ball came flying at her head.

“Sorry, Clarke!” Lexa yelled. She grabbed the ball and walked down the bleachers, towards the field. As she did, some of the older boys began to whistle at her. All of them had gathered around Lexa where she waited patiently for the ball. As Clarke got closer, some of the whistling turned into comments.

“Please tell me you are a new teacher.” One boy said. There were cheers all around. Lexa wanted to slap them upside the head. Clarke walked the last few steps incredibly slow, swaying her hips for extra effect. Even Lexa was a little taken by it. She got closer and shoved the ball into Lexa’s chest causing them to laugh.

“Need a date to homecoming?” A voice asked as she walked away. Clarke turned back towards them and glared. She always hated the leering teenager. She walked right up to Lexa and starred her down.

“Sorry boys.” She said sweetly, grabbing Lexa’s collar and planting a quick kiss on her lips. “Taken.” She started back towards the bleachers and there wasn’t a peep out of the crowd behind her, especially the woman who still felt fire on her lips. It was a good thing she was turned away because Clarke’s face was going through fifty shades of emotions. She gently touched her lips where they had grazed Lexa’s like if she didn’t it wasn’t real. It was just a joke to get teenagers to show some respect, she thought. The thought didn’t hold much weight though because all she wanted to do was turn back around and kiss her again.

“Shit.” She whispered to herself.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N The beginning of this chapter is actually super personal to me. You might find it unimportant but I wrote it for myself. My best friend died while I was in high school and I was absolutely in love with her and I got to tell her but it was too late. I love Lexa’s character in the 100 because I feel I can relate to her and this chapter highlights those similarities. Also, don’t freak out when you read the end xoxo

 

The principle ended up finding them on the field and brought them over to the school. Anya already started asking her questions about the school and teachers. While they were walking a few paces ahead, Lexa leaned into Clarke’s side.

“What was that?” She questioned. “The papers already think I am taking advantage of you.”

“None of those people knew who you were. I was just getting back at those annoying boys. It was nothing.” A pang went through Lexa unconsciously.

“Just don’t…don’t do it again.” She pushed past Clarke trying to catch up to the principle. The woman opened the door to the high school first and they all entered the front hallway. A few steps in, Lexa had to stop herself. For a moment, it felt like she was walking in to another day of school. She looked down, relieved she wasn’t wearing khakis and a school polo. She hadn’t stepped back into this building since the day she graduated. The statue of Mary with a snake at her feet sat in the center of the front hall just as it had a decade before. She fondly remembered the times she leaned against her while she waited for a ride home. She grazed her hands over the feet of the statue, completely tuning out the history lesson the principle was giving the other two girls.

She put her hand on the familiar first floor door and hesitated before opening it. The poorly lit hallway had glossy yellow brick walls which clashed with the maroon floors. The lockers were still small and off blue, crammed together in an even smaller hallway. The sports plaques lined the right side of the wall and the class photos dating back to 1923 hung on the left. She walked up to the first locker on the right which used to be hers. She crouched down and ran her hand over a large scratch that went from the bottom corner to the lock. She had been trying to balance her books one day and kicked the locker shut without realizing there was something sharp stuck to the bottom of her shoe. Her chest clinched as different memories came over her. The corner where James Washington asked her to freshman homecoming and she said yes because she didn’t want anyone to know she was gay. The bulletin board where she used to post announcements for soccer. The spot in the hallway where they used to eat lunch every day. As she scanned the room, her eyes caught the most familiar part of the building. She walked to the other set of lockers and stood where she used to spend every morning, every afternoon, every moment she wasn’t busy. Locker 15. There was a small plaque over the door that read _In Remembrance of Costia Rebecca Evans_. She hit the top right corner of the door and it popped open just as it always did.  She grazed her fingers under the top shelf until she felt the etching. Crouching down, she turned her head so she could look up where her hand was. There was a poorly drawn heart scratched in ball point pen with “CE + LW” in the center.

“What are you doing?” Startled, she slammed her head up into the shelf. She carefully pulled out and rubbed it.

“Reminiscing.” She walked over towards them, still rubbing the knot that was forming.

“Miss Woods, your class photo is actually right there.” Lexa grimaced as Clarke and Anya eagerly ran over to it.

“Look at the little baby Lexa.” Clarke cooed. “I am really digging the braids. When did those go out of style?” Lexa just looked at her annoyed.

“I think this is cool. I could be going to your school. Then, I could be just like you.” Anya laced her hand with Lexa’s.

“You want to be like me?”

“Duh…Everyone wants to be like their hero.”  Anya shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. Lexa turned back to Clarke who was miming tear drops.

“You want to see something cool?” Anya shook her head. Lexa hoisted her up to where she was sitting on one of her shoulders. She walked back to her class photo and pointed to the picture at the very top of the wall from two years earlier.

“See that goofy looking boy all the way in the back?”

“The blonde?” She questioned.

“Yes. That is my brother Damir.” Clarke walked over to look as well. She knew of Lexa’s brother only by name. Gustus and her didn’t like to talk about it. Lexa had only let it slip she had sibling by accident. Clarke could see Gustus in the boy. He was tall and muscular but surprisingly had soft features with bright blonde hair.

“He seems nice.” Lexa set her down on the ground and grabbed her hand again.

“He was the best.” They continued to walk down the hallway towards the back door so they could walk to the grade school. As they passed the trophy cases at the end of hall, Clarke stopped. She moved closer to the state championship for soccer where she saw Lexa and another familiar face.

“You knew Costia?” Clarke asked surprised. “That’s you next to her in the picture, isn’t it?” she pointed to the same photo that Lexa kept in her wallet.  

“Anya why don’t you go ahead with Principle Lyons and we’ll catch up later. I think I still know how to get around here.” They walked out the back and Lexa waited until the door closed.

“What’s wrong?” Clarke had rarely seen Lexa stoic.

“I consider you one of my greatest confidants, Clarke.” Lexa began. “I trust you more than any other person in this world because you have always been loyal and honest. Because of that, I sometimes blur the lines between our working relationship and a friendship.”

“Lexa you don’t have to…” She held up a hand.

“Just listen…I’m really not getting to the point here but I just wanted to preface the answer to your question about Costia. I am going to talk to you like Clarke my friend not my employee. And I just want you to see me as Lexa for a second.” She breathed in deeply praying that she wouldn’t lose her nerve.

“Costia was my girlfriend in high school.” The surprise on Clarke’s face was evident. How guarded Lexa always was and her mother-daughter relationship with Indra started to make since.

“We met when I first moved in with Gustus. Our yards were connected and she was my only friend for years. She was amazing, like out of this world amazing. One day, that friendship turned into something more. We were walking back to our car from practice and she just kissed me like it was nothing.” She smiled at the memory. “It was 2004 though so being openly gay wasn’t something you did. People knew we were inseparable anyways so no one took a second glance when we held our hands under a desk or took each other to the dance.” A single tear escaped her fortress, dropping down onto her clinched hands.

“One day, I came to school and waited by her locker like I did every morning and she never showed up. During third period, they put the school on lock down and sent us over to the church. I knew something was wrong. There were whispers of a drug search or a cheating scandal. When I walked through those doors, I saw Indra standing with the priest. I’ve never bartered with God before but the minutes between sitting down in the pews and the principle talking, I offered everything to him. They told us that Costia and her father were in an accident that morning and they both had passed… I got up and ran. Past the soccer fields and the highway. I just kept running until they found me that night on the side of the road.”

“I’m so sorry.” Clarke grabbed her hand and squeezed it assuredly. “I can’t imagine what it feels like to lose someone you love that much.” Lexa moved away from the picture, bleary eyes meeting Clarkes.

“The reason I am telling you this is because sometimes I think you may not understand why I act the way I do. I never thought I would get over the pain. Because once the funerals are over and the lockers are cleaned out, the only thing you have left are one sided memories and a photograph…but I did get over it just like my father did with Damir and my mother. hodnes laik kwelnes.” _Love is weakness._

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Love is weakness.” Lexa spoke coldly.

“You can’t live like that. You just talked about how in love you were how can you say it made you weak?” Clarke shook her head. “Not letting yourself feel. Never opening yourself up to that again. She wouldn’t want that.”

“That’s all I’ve known…my parents, my brother, my foster mother, Costia. People come and go, the only thing you can rely on is yourself.”

“That’s bullshit.” Clarke released her hand and took a few paces back. “So you just stopped caring about everyone?” Lexa nodded.

 “I do what I have to do to keep my company going. My employees don’t care if I go home to a wife and kids. They want to know that the best decisions are being made for them. If those decisions are made because all of my energy is there, then so be it. I will be Miss Woods, not Lexa. And if I am mayor I will put the people of New York City before anything else. ” Her voice rose to a confrontational level.

“What about Anya?” She bit her lip. “What about me?”

“What about you, Clarke?” Lexa shot back. “We’ve always been playing this back and forth game and ever since _you_ decided I was going to foster a child, _you_ have acted like we are some kind of parental unit. _You_ make these decisions and then when the paper wants to say we are “playing house”, _you_ make it very clear that we aren’t anything to each other but boss and employee… Which I can deal with, but then you go and kiss me and I know you say it was just about pissing off some high school kids but you still can’t play with people like that.” Clarke was stunned at all of the words spilling out of Lexa’s mouth. She could feel how built up all of this was. The fury that had already built up in her was too much to contain, though. She knew that whatever was coming out of her mouth next would be

“Why would it matter to you if it meant something or not? You just said that you don’t care about anything or anyone which includes me.” She grabbed the bag she had set on the floor. “And for the record, I have always treated you as just Lexa. I have never expected you to be anything but who you want to be and if you are too thick to see that then maybe this isn’t working anymore…professionally or otherwise.” Lexa was too stubborn to respond and let Clarke storm down the hallway. As the door slammed, her fist met the closest locker. She pulled it back in pain and placed in on the glass case.

“I’ve really screwed this one up, haven’t I Cos?” She put her head on the cool glass and closed her eyes tight, listening for even the whisper of a voice of reason. “She’s better off getting out now. I’m not good for anybody.” A shiver ran down her spine and her arms lit up with bumps. She knew it was a silent sign from the universe. Nursing her hand, she walked out the back door and towards the other building, finding them in the third grade classroom.

“Where’s Clarke?” Anya asked excitedly. “I have to show her the summer reading list. She’s talked about half of them already.”

“She had to get back to a meeting so Gustus is going to come pick us up.” Anya could hear the tinge of sadness in her voice.

“Is she going to come by the loft later?”

“I don’t know.” Lexa’s voice was harsher than she intended. “I don’t know.” She repeated softer.

Anya walked over to her and sat on top of the shelf she was leaning on.

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly.

“I don’t know.” She put her arm over Anya and the girl leaned into her.

“Let’s go home.” She led them out of the classroom and assured the principle that Anya would be enrolled for the school year, although she didn’t know if she would have to do it herself now.

On the way home, she didn’t move from starring out the window. She went over every second of her argument with Clarke and tried to reason out how it got so out of hand. Then, she went through the ways in which she could brush the situation under the rug and get Clarke back. Even though she tried to prevent this exact thing from happening by distancing herself, she could feel the edges of sadness creep into the parts of her reserved for Clarke. _It was just a jerk reaction_ , she thought to herself. Clarke would call her later and they would talk about how stupid they were being and then she would come over for Saturday breakfast and a walk in the park with Fish and Anya. Even as she thought it, she knew it wouldn’t happen. They couldn’t go back anymore. It would be forward together or opposite directions a part. When they got back to the loft, she went straight to her office. The car keys were sitting on her desk next to a note that said where Clarke had parked it. Lexa crumbled the note and threw it at the trashcan, missing far. She collapsed in her chair, starring out over the city, her mind a million miles away.

Clarke walked all the way back to her apartment from the loft because if she didn’t get as much oxygen as possible she was going to explode. The bystanders that were the unfortunate recipients of her glares quickly got out of her way as she trudged the 15 blocks home. She couldn’t stop thinking about how much blame there was in Lexa’s voice. She was blamed for making decisions that were in the best interest of the child. She did everything for Anya. On top of that, she had never seen Lexa happier than with Anya. It didn’t make sense to her. She didn’t even want to think about the fact that Lexa basically said she was stringing her along.  It wasn’t her fault the paper thought they looked like a family. _Why should it matter_ , she thought. They were happy. They were just together and enjoying each other.

Clarke shoved open her door and got a brilliant idea. She rummaged in her purse and found her one true love. She dialed up Raven and didn’t have to wait long.

“How may I help you?” Clarke could hear metal banging in the background at Raven’s shop.

“Alcohol.”

“Club or bar?” Raven perked up.

“Hot people and music.” Clarke kicked off her shoes.

“Club 52 at 10.” Raven clicked off and Clarke went to her closet to find something that wasn’t 80% polyester. As she did, she took a beer out of the fridge and began to pregame. By the time Raven picked her up, she was slightly buzzed and dressed in her finest “hooker” outfit. The tight dress didn’t cover much and it seemed even shorter with her heels. She had taken her hair out of the normal bun she wore and curled it. When she opened the door to Raven’s car, she got many hoots and hollers from the gang sitting in the back seat.

“What’s the occasion Griffin?” Bellamy asked.

“I quit my job.” Raven slammed on the brakes, jerking everyone forward.

“You what?”

“It’s a long story, I will tell you after at least two shots.” Raven looked at her friend concerned but continued. After the two promised shots, she cornered Clarke in a booth. The music was pounding around them which made it difficult to have any kind of conversation.

“What do you mean you quit your job?”

“I didn’t actually quit yet. Miss Woods and I just had a very intense conversation and I don’t think we can keep working together.” She took another sip of her rum and coke.

“When have you ever called her Miss Woods? Clarke, seriously, what is going on?”

“I don’t know what’s going on. She was telling me about her girlfriend from high school and the conversation somehow got turned back onto us. It didn’t even make sense. We were just going back and forth talking around the subject and then she finally just came out and said that I shouldn’t play with her feelings. Just because I kissed her, doesn’t mean I was playing with her feelings.” Raven choked slightly on her drink.

“You kissed her. When…how?”

“It was just a middle school peck but she’s acting like I did it to tease her or to mess with her.”

“Did you?” 

“Of course not…I would do it again if she could just be human for five seconds. _Love is weakness”_ she said mockingly. “No, Lexa love is human. And just because you are part alien doesn’t mean that you can’t love or be loved…and shouldn’t I be the one who gets to decide whether or not I am in love with you. I get to decide to love the way you bite your lip when you’re reading or the way you hold the door open for everyone even if it makes you late. I can care even if you don’t.” Clarke finished her speech to the invisible Lexa and threw back the rest of her drink. Raven just starred not realizing how deep her friend was in.

“Clarke how long have you felt like this?”

“Since the day I met her.” She said truthfully. “I thought I could manage it. It was just a crush but then Anya escalated the whole thing. It was like a scary glimpse into the future…like if I told her I liked her then this could be our life. I think it would have been fine if it was just a glimpse but we were living it and do you know what the worst part is?”

“What?” Raven asked sincerely.

“I have never been happier. We aren’t even together but I am happier with those two than I have ever been with anyone else. Three weeks and I see my life in an entirely different way. ..and now I’m mad because Lexa can’t see that. She is all about what is best and what is right, not what feels best or feels right.” She pushed the glass away. “I just need some space.”

“I think that’s a good idea. There is a lot at stake here. Your careers. Your heart. The kid. Don’t do anything rash.” Clarke leaned onto her shoulder nestling in, thanking her without words.

Lexa still hadn’t left her office when there was a soft knock. Anya walked in with her head down clinching her stomach. Lexa immediately knew something looked off.

“What’s wrong?” Anya sniffled, her head still not raising.

“My stomach hurts so bad.” She said weakly. She hunched over wincing more. Lexa quickly came over to her and rubbed her back.

“Was it something you ate?” Anya winced again.

“I don’t know, it just hurts so bad.”

“Do you feel like you need to throw up?” Lexa was completely out of her depth. She didn’t even like dealing with herself when she was sick.

“Owwww.” Anya collapsed on the floor, holding her stomach tighter. Lexa scooped her up and brought her to the bedroom and set her on the bed.

“I’m going to go get some Gatorade and a trash bag just in case okay?” She swiped a piece of hair out of her face. As she moved away, Anya caught her hand.

“No, I want Clarke.” She whined.

“I don’t know where Clarke is. I can get you anything you need.”

“Please, she’ll know what to do. Her mom is a doctor.” Lexa was surprised Anya knew this.

“I’ll call her.” She ran into the kitchen to get what she intended anyways and pulled out her phone. She asked the voice control to call Clarke and a picture of them at the concert in the park pulled up.

At the club, Clarke’s phone buzzed in her back pocket. She put it on the table and a picture of Lexa and Anya came up.

“Don’t answer that.” Raven warned.

“I wasn’t going to.” She pushed the lock button, sending Lexa to voicemail.

Lexa was afraid Clarke wouldn’t pick up. She waited for the voicemail to come through. “Clarke, it’s Lexa…you know that. Anya seems to be really sick and she wants you and I’m really out of my depth if you could please call me back or just call her…Thanks..Bye.”

Anya stood up by the side of the bed and put her blanket on the lamp to get it hotter. She quickly placed it on her cheeks to make them flushed. She knew Clarke and Lexa were having an argument and she figured she could fix it. Pretending to be sick was one of her specialties. She heard footsteps coming towards her room and quickly spit out the cinnamon gum she was chewing and put the blanket down.

“Hey kid, Clarke hasn’t picked up yet but I’m sure she will. Drink some of this and see if you feel better.” Anya took a sip and proceeded to roll around dramatically. Lexa pulled out her phone and tried calling Indra and Gustus. Anya had already instructed them not to pick up any calls from Lexa, saying that she was playing a prank. Lexa gave up and called Clarke again this time opting to send a set of texts, instead of leaving a voicemail.

Clarke’s phone was faced down and continued to buzz.

“You are extremely popular, just get it, I know it’s killing you.” Clarke quickly grabbed for the phone skimming over the texts. She held her finger to her ear and listened to Lexa’s message.  She reached past Raven and grabbed her purse.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to…I have to go, it’s Anya. She is really sick.”

“Clarke.” Raven said evenly.

“This isn’t about Lexa, Raven. This is about a little girl who wants me because she doesn’t feel well. I can put aside my problems for her. I promise.” She didn’t wait for a response and bolted out of the club calling a taxi. She made it to the loft in under fifteen minutes. She realized she smelled faintly of alcohol but figured Anya wouldn’t care. As she approached the room, she could hear Lexa trying to soothe the girl. She lightly knocked on the door and slipped in. Both girls smiled at her, although one was much more enthusiastic.

“What’s wrong squish?” She asked, using the pet name she had given her.

“It hurts.” She complained.

“Alright, I think we can fix this.” She slipped off her heels and walked towards the bed. She leaned in and Anya wrapped her arms around her neck, allowing Clarke to scoop her up. As she did, she looked over towards Lexa who mouthed a thank you. Clarke walked them into the bathroom and turned the shower onto the highest heat and shut the door with the three of them stuck in the make shift sauna. Clarke rocked Anya back and forth on her lap as she sat on the edge of the tub.

“My mom used to do this for me when I had a tummy ache. Does it feel any better?” Anya nodded.

“She had a slight fever too so I gave her some of the children’s motrin and Gatorade but her stomach wouldn’t stop hurting. I didn’t know what else to do and she really wanted you.”

“Shhhhh.” Clarke put her hand up, realizing Anya was falling asleep. Lexa slid down the wall and put her head back, feeling the calming effects of the steam. Fifteen minutes later, Clarke turned off the shower and carefully lifted Anya up. She was pretending to be asleep. Lexa got the door and they tucked Anya into the bed, wiping the wet strands of hair out of her face.  Clarke placed a kiss on her forehead and made sure the blankets were even.

“Sorry I called. She really wanted you.” For the first time, Lexa realized that Clarke was dressed up. “I took you away from your friends, didn’t I?” Clarke didn’t respond until they  got out her room and she closed the door.

“It’s fine. I’m glad she is feeling better.”

“Fifteen minutes with you and everything is cured. Ever think of being a doctor?” Lexa tried to play but she knew it wasn’t going to land. Clarke started to gather her things.

“I’m sorry, Clarke.” Lexa said, defeated.

“Do you ever get tired of saying that to me? You always make these grand statements and then retract them by apologizing.” Clarke braced herself on the wall as she put her heels back on. “Sorry, doesn’t fix everything.”

“Then what would?”

“I don’t know if we can be fixed.” This caught Lexa’s attention. “I do know one thing though, you are a liar.”

“Excuse me.” Lexa stepped closer into her space.

“You care about Anya…so much that you would have probably searched the five boroughs for me if you knew it would make her feel better… you still hurt when you talk about Costia or Damir…and you felt something when I kissed you today.” Clarke slowly backed Lexa into the wall. “You want everyone to think you’re above it all but I see right through you.”

“What do you want me to do? Admit I’m wrong? I don’t know what else to say to make us go back to how we used to be.”

“What if I don’t want to go back to the way we used to be?” Lexa could smell the alcohol on her breath and she unconsciously looked down at her lips.

“Then, I think we are at a cross roads.”

“I guess we are…” Clarke’s voice dropped low to a whisper. “Any suggestions?” Lexa starred into her eyes, the silence highlighting their breathing together. Of all the scenarios she had planned in her head, none looked like this. For once in her life, she decided to make a choice with her heart not her head.

With a grave expression she put her hands around Clarke’s neck. “No more talking.” She whispered, before touching her lips gently to Clarke’s, not daring to take more than a taste. It didn’t matter though how gentle her intention was because the electricity that pulsed between them could have brought a heart back to life. In a sense, it had. Lexa kept her eyes open, waiting for a reaction from Clarke. They starred at each other breathing, watching, until the invisible barrier between them faded and they crashed back together. Their movements were patient. Clarke grazed her fingers over Lexa’s jaw line until she could pull at the base of her neck bringing them close together. Lexa slowly entered her mouth as if she needed a part of her to breathe herself. As Clarke pushed her further into the wall, she became off balanced and started to collapse to the right. Lexa wasn’t able to catch her in time and her attempt landed her on top of Clarke. She quickly braced her hands on either side of her head to prevent suffocation. Clarke laughed into her shoulder trying to keep her voice down.  When she put her head back, Lexa quickly reached down and stole another kiss.

“I don’t want to go back.” She admitted.  Clarke reached up and put the floating tendril of hair behind her ear.

“Me either.”

 


	12. Chapter 12

A/N This is short and fluffy so people don’t think my note on the last chapter meant I was breaking them up into eternity. This is also a filler chapter because I am setting up the next (final) major plot point J

 

Lexa woke up to something wet against her cheek. Her sleepy brain instantly thought it was something pleasant. “Clarke, I’m trying to sleep.” She whined. At the sound of her voice, the tongue lapped her entire left side into her ear. She jumped up from the couch where she had fallen asleep and tripped over the coffee table making a beeline to the ground. As she brought her head up from the wood, she came face to face with her alarm clock, a very fluffy alarm clock.

“Anya!” She yelled. The kid ran out of her room and saw Lexa prone on the floor with Fish still trying to play with her.

“Sorry.” She whistled and he came over to her.

“You have five seconds to be quiet or I’m suffocating both of you with this pillow.” Clarke was outstretched on the rest of the couch, her head under the throw pillow. Lexa looked up at Anya and nodded her head to come over. She tiptoed down the stairs to stand behind the couch. Lexa carefully got up and positioned herself above Clarke.

“In that case…” Clarke peered out from the pillow but was too late as hands began to tickle her.

“No…” She laughed trying to throw the pillow at one of them. “…stop you know I’m too ticklish.” She squirmed into the floor and tried to army crawl away from them. The pajamas she had borrowed allowed her to easily slide under the table.

“That’s cheating!” Anya yelled as she jumped over the couch. Lexa backed up on the other end of the table waiting patiently for her to come out. Clarke knew she was cornered and decided that the best defense was a good offense. She quickly scurried from under the table and grabbed Anya up in a cradle position.

“Whatcha gonna do now?” she teased. Clarke backed away behind the couch still holding on tightly to her hostage.

“Leave me.” Anya said dramatically.

“No way.” Lexa catapulted over the couch and began to pinch Clarke’s waist causing her to let go of the girl. Anya ran to safety while Clarke countered Lexa by pulling her hair knowing this was her one weakness.

“Party foul.” Clarke didn’t listen and pushed her up against the couch until she toppled over it. Lexa made a show of it, falling all the way to the floor and sprawling out.

“Et tu Brute.” She put her hand on her head, feigning death. Anya grabbed the blanket off the couch and ran over to her, pretending to cry. She draped it over Lexa’s face and bowed her head. “Yo gomplie ste odon.” Clarke began clapping, wiping a fake tear from her eye.

“That was beautiful. I don’t know what you said but it was very touching.” Lexa popped up and gave a bow.

“I’m going to talk to Gustus about these language lessons. ‘Your fight is over’ isn’t really the greatest thing to know in any language.” She ruffled Anya’s hair, much to the girl’s annoyance.

“I have to know that because I am a warrior.”

“Really now? Let’s see this.” Anya ran off into the front closet and grabbed the two sticks that her and Gustus used.

“You’re serious?” Lexa balanced the stick in her hand and spun it around. “What happened to you being deathly ill yesterday?” She said suspiciously.

“It passed.” She chirped.

Clarke moved the coffee table out of the way and jumped on the couch. “This is better than cable.”

Anya got in a pose holding the stick towards the center with both hands. Lexa pretended she didn’t know how to use it and held it with one hand awkwardly.

“Ready?” She asked. Anya didn’t respond but made swift movements with the stick. Lexa was actually surprised at how good she was. Her instincts kicked in and she blocked the many passes that Anya made, letting the girl hit her a few times.

“You’re getting your ass kicked by a ten year old.”

“Language.” They both responded. Clarke held her hands up in surrender.

“Clarke’s right though, I am kicking your butt. If you ask nicely, I’ll let you be my second.” Lexa tried to quell her competitive side but she couldn’t pass up an opportunity to show off in front of Clarke.

“You really want me to be serious? I’m in pretty good shape I could take you.”

“Says who?” Clarke teased. Lexa walked towards her and set her stick down, not breaking eye contact. She pulled her baggy sleeping tee over her head and threw it at Clarke, leaving her only in a sports bra. Clarke’s mouth hung open and her eyes unconsciously got wider as she took in just how toned Lexa was. Her abs were great but her arms were better, defined and rippling. Clarke knew that Lexa worked out every day but she didn’t appreciate that until now.

“You were saying?”

“Ummm…” Clarke composed herself and pulled her eyes up to Lexa’s face. “…nothing.”

Lexa swiped the stick off the couch and positioned herself in the pose Gustus had taught her when she was thirteen. She allowed Anya to move through some of the motions before increasing the intensity. With three moves, she had knocked Anya’s stick to the ground.

“Woah.” Anya breathed out. “Where did you learn that?”

“heda nowe otkriva ai svoje.” _A commander never reveals her secrets._

Clarke picked up the stick and twirled it around.

“I bet I could take you.” Clarke mimicked Lexa’s stance and began blindly swinging. Lexa easily deflected every pass. Clarke was getting annoyed and started to move more aggressively, trying to get the upper hand. Lexa swiped down loosening Clarke’s grip and spun around knocking the end of the stick up as she passed. She grabbed the free end and twisted it up. Lexa’s smooth movements left her own stick resting through Clarke’s hair and on her shoulder while the girls own weapon was brought to her neck. They both breathed heavily not moving from the compromising position. Clarke leaned into Lexa’s ear, where Anya couldn’t see. “That was incredibly hot.” She whispered, making Lexa’s face go scarlet. Anya grabbed the sticks and went to put them back. When she came back into the room, they both had composed themselves from the intensity of the match.

“Kid go get ready while we make breakfast and we can go to the park with the animal.”

“He has a name.”  

“Sandy.” Clarke said under her breath, childishly. Anya glared at her.

“Don’t start again, you two. Kid shower. Clarke breakfast. Go.”  As Anya trudged away, Lexa scoured the fridge for something edible. There was usually leftover pizza in the fridge on Saturdays but that seemed to be a no go.

“Can we talk?” Clarke slid up into one of the bar chairs, as Lexa pulled out the last of the eggs and some questionable cheese.

“Already regretting last night? You’ve got that heartbreaker tone to your voice.”

“Of course not. I just wanted to get a feel for what this is. Are we dating? Are we talking? Are we strictly kissing friends?” She tried to make light of the situation.

“I like the last one for sure.” Lexa reached over the counter and grabbed Clarke’s nervous hands. “Right now we don’t have to say we are anything. The only thing that is important is that we are two people who acknowledge that there is something here…Something special…and we want to figure that out before we go and slap a scary label on it.”

“So we are…?”

“Just Lexa and Clarke.” Lexa finished.

“Clarke and Lexa.” Clarke corrected.  

“Why do you get to be first?”

“Because Clexa sounds better than Lerke.”  

“Who raised you?” Lexa’s teasing did not stop Clarke’s one track mind.

“Be my girlfriend.” Clarke pouted, her lip fully out.

“I need to take things slow.” Lexa admitted.

“How slow?”

“Like a turtle encased in jell-o running through peanut butter…that is also encased in j-ello.” She poured out the egg mixture and began scrambling them.

“So I’ll be sixty before you hold my hand in public?” Clarke got off the chair and started to make the coffee.

“Don’t be dramatic. This whole thing is fresh and new. Think of us like a car wash. Right now, we are just the basic package simple, to the point, not a lot of expectations then we can slowly upgrade.”  Lexa knew she wasn’t making a great case for herself. Clarke walked over, warm coffee in her hands and an unsatisfied look on her face.

“Call me a car wash one more time.” She warned.

“I don’t know how to say what I am trying to say so you can understand what I’m saying.” Clarke furrowed her brows.

“Then, let me say it for you. You want us to be a secret until your campaign is over.”

“I never said…” Clarke interrupted her. “And I agree. No one needs to know our business but us. On the clock, we are Woods and Griffin and whatever other time we have we can just be us.”

“You’d be okay with that?” Clarke pinned Lexa to the counter, her arms on either side.

“I get to be with you. Something, I never thought would happen. I get to finally kiss you whenever you do something adorable or bring you ice cream when you have a bad day.”

“You already do that.”

“Well, now I get to do it because I care about you, and I don’t have to play it off like I’m kissing your ass for work.” Clarke held her gaze. “I will pretend we aren’t together for as long as you need but that doesn’t get you off from fulling committing to this. I want to know you Lexa, more than I do now. I want everything.” Lexa pondered this over in her head. It was hard to say anything but yes when there was a beautiful woman standing in front of you but she really wanted this. Deep down she knew she wanted this more than she had ever wanted fame or success.  

“I’m in.” She leaned down and pecked her on the lips.

“Pinky promise?” Clarke held out her finger and Lexa laughed before taking it.

“Now, let me go borrow some of your clothes so we can go out for breakfast.”

“Why?” Lexa questioned.

“Because you burnt the eggs.”


	13. Chapter 13

a/n sorry it has been some time. I honestly watched the last two episodes and was just floored. I am so used to having to go to fanfiction to feel fulfilled in a LGBT relationships portrayal in a show but the 100 is some rare butterfly that does it so well itself. I didn’t feel like anything I wrote could encapsulate the emotion and feelings that were shown in the episodes. I will also have another post tomorrow too!

 Monday morning meant the last week that Anya would not be in school, a scary but relieving thought. In honor of that, Lexa decided that she would take her to work for the whole week. Part of it was because she wanted to show the girl what she did every day; part was to get her away from Gustus for a little bit. The fighting was one thing, she appreciated that the girl could defend herself but when she asked to pass the salt in a different language, Lexa knew there might be a problem. Clarke showed up bright and early at seven in the morning to pick them up. She had grabbed coffee and bagels on the way so they could head straight to the tower.

“Good morning.” Her greeting was aimed at both of them but her eyes and smile were on Lexa.

“Ready?” She turned to Anya and reached out her hand. The girl was dressed in one of the outfits she had worn to a state dinner with tights, a suit jacket, and fancy shoes. Clarke thought she looked adorable but she wouldn’t dare say that word. Instead she commented on how professional she looked. The girl agreed, laced their fingers together and dragged them to the elevator, nearly spilling all the coffee. Lexa followed, throwing her bag over her shoulder. When they were all in the elevator, she sidled up close to Clarke and slightly pinched at her side. She looked down, reassuring Clarke with her eyes that if there was a free hand, Lexa would be holding it.

“What are we doing today?” Anya asked excitedly. “Meetings? Presentations to a board of directors? Designing a holographic computer?”

“Well, I will be going over what we have to accomplish for the week and Lexa will be attempting to throw pieces of paper into a trash can and missing terribly.” Lexa was actually offended for a moment.

“First of all, that trash can has a very thick rim that has an amazing static force field, repelling any object thrown towards it. Second, I was planning on catching up with the polls data to determine whether or not I am far enough ahead to fire my campaign manager _slash_ assistant.” Clarke leaned her head back towards Lexa’s ear. “Slash girlfriend.” She whispered. “Let’s not forget that one.” Lexa bit her tongue, knowing no response would save her.

Anya kept her eyes forward, letting them believe they weren’t talking louder than a Baptist minister.

“Oh look Indra’s here.” Lexa slipped out of the elevator as quick as possible avoiding Clarke’s glare. “Hello, Indra whom I love and always sides with me.” Indra stood by the car, sunglasses obscuring her eye roll.

“Which one are you in trouble with this morning?”

“She threatened to fire her.” Anya offered, pointing her thumb back at Clarke.

“It wouldn’t be Monday if she didn’t.” Lexa popped her head out of the back door. “I resent that.” Clarke gave Indra her coffee, freeing up a hand to shove Lexa’s head into the car like a police officer to a criminal.

“Save it for the court room, slick.” Clarke slipped in with Lexa, leaving Indra and Anya standing next to each other outside of the car.

“How do you hang around them all the time?” Indra questioned, opening the front door for her.

“We all have our crosses to bear.” Anya hopped in and looked back at Lexa and Clarke whispering to each other and giggling. Sometimes you could never tell that they were older than teenage girls or that they collectively were in charge of millions of dollars and hundreds of employees. They both looked at Anya starring at them and stuck out their tongues, proving her point. She turned around to face the front as Indra drove. For a moment, she let her guard down and became completely comfortable with this version of her life. It was strange and weird and at times hectic but it was unlike all the other versions of her life so far. She had always been taught that her place in the world would always be in the background. She would drift through the system and one day age out to drift along through the rest of her life, never making roots-a slave to change. As she looked around the car, she felt the limbs of herself branch out and attach to the people she had come to care so much about and who truly cared about her. It was unsettling to think about how much she now felt dependent on them. Caring for people meant you could be hurt by losing them. For once, it felt like the risk was worth it.

“What are you thinking about?” Indra picked up on the pensive look.

“Seingeda.” _Family._

“Nou get yu daun, yongon.” _Stop worrying, child._ Anya was surprised Indra knew Gustu’s language and wasn’t exactly sure what she had said. Her tone of voice was reassuring though.

“You don’t spend 20 years being friends with a person and not pick up on how they speak. Marian used to teach me phrases just to piss him off.” She assumed Marian was Gustus’s wife. She never asked because she knew how much neither he nor Lexa liked to talk about their pasts. Anya plastered a smile on her face and patted Indra’s free hand. She dropped them off at the private elevator and planned on getting them for a lunch appointment later. Anya had never been to their work before. When they finally got to the office floors, she was surprised at how normal everything seemed to be. People in cubicles were typing away on their computers, there was a stereotypical water cooler on the far wall and a bland table in the middle of a break room. As they turned the corner, Clarke started to branch off towards a different office.

“Your offices aren’t next to each other?”

“No, or I would actually kill her.” She pointed to a large door at the other end of the hallway. “I am down there. Come get me for lunch and then you can hang with me all afternoon.” Anya followed Lexa down the other hallway to where there were no cubicles but two large board rooms and an office at the end. She unlocked the door and let Anya in first. Once again, the girl was surprised at how normal the room looked. For a person as rich as Lexa, she could have an entire floor as an office with a golden desk and leather couches. Instead, she had a simple desk with two lounge chairs across from her bland office chair and only one couch looking item to the side that Anya imagined Lexa had slept on a few times in her life. Also next to the couch was the infamous trash can.

“Why do you look disappointed?” Lexa questioned.

“I’m not.” Anya tried to adjust her face into anything else than what she must have looked like. “I kind of imagined your office being like the flight deck of the enterprise where you sat in a big chair commanding people who sat around you and Clarke was mission control relaying everything to the people below deck. “

“As awesome as that sounds, this space fits my needs. Over time, when your company becomes big enough, you do fewer things. I used to handle all of the day to day things, damage control, store openings…I don’t even really get to make the tech anymore. Instead, I have a fleet of people who take care of that because they are good at it too. I still make the big decisions but it’s not as complicated as one would think.” She collapsed in her chair, putting her feet up on the desk.

“Do you ever miss getting your hands dirty?”

“Of course. That’s one of the reasons I am running for mayor. I feel like I still have a chance to impact people positively but not just in the tech world. I really think I can do justice to this city but I have to get out from behind the scenes first.” She had grown tired of the business side of her position. She just wanted to build and see the impact. Being in charge meant signing papers.

“If you could do anything today, what would you do?” Anya set her stuff into the chair in front of Lexa and sat on the edge of the seat. Lexa thought about the question. One day of freedom was too enticing, there would be too many things she would want to do. As her mind shuffled through options, she landed on something that made her smile from ear to ear. She swung her feet off of the desk and faced Anya directly.

“Have you ever played the math game where you’re given six numbers and you have to make five of them equal the sixth using any kind of math procedure?”

“Multiplication and division are still a little tricky for me so no.”

“But you understand the idea.” Anya nodded.

“That is my favorite thing to do but with gadgets. I would take three or four old things and try to put them together into one bigger thing using whatever parts the machines had and a few tools.”

“You’re such a dork.”

“We have a tech grave yard in the basement. I could sneak it take a few things. This could be super fun.” Her eyes lit up and she waited for Anya to get just as excited. It didn’t take much convincing and within twenty minutes they had several old computers, phones, and something called a fax machine that Anya had never heard of. Lexa also grabbed two pairs of magnifying googles and tools from their manufacturing floor. As they took apart the dated tech, Lexa explained how all of the different parts worked together and what each wire meant. She showed Anya how to strip and reattach different parts, connect parallel charges and how to check to make sure the connections were working. A few hours later, they had attached the cell phone’s blue tooth capabilities to the laptop and used the fax machines printer to send texts that instantly printed out. They were so enthralled in the work that they didn’t hear the knock on the door. It wasn’t until a light cough came from behind them that they turned around. Clarke couldn’t help herself from laughing as she was met by two pairs of magnified eyes.  

“What the hell are you two doing?”

“Language.” They said in unison.

“You look like minions.” Clarke shot back. She wasn’t wrong. They had large yellow gloves on along with the dorky goggles making them look like they belonged at a comic con convention and not an office.

“What are you even working on?” She picked up the phone that was attached through wires to the laptop that was attached through more connections to the fax machine.

“Text something to this number.” Anya pointed to the IP address on the laptop. She moved her thumbs long the phone and hit send. As she did, the fax machine fired up and processed the paper through it. Lexa pulled up the freshly printed sheet.

“You’re wasting time.” She read. She crumpled up the paper and threw it at the trash can. It bounced off the rim and onto the floor.

“I told you she sucked at that.” To prove her point, Clarke pulled out a piece of blank paper, crumpled it up and launched it through the air. It landed in the bottom of the can without making a sound.

“I hate you.” Lexa whipped off the goggles.

“Children, we have lunch to go to. Load ‘em up, move ‘em out.” She pointed towards the door. Lexa headed out but Clarke held Anya back for a second.

“I think what you built is super cool squish, but don’t tell grumpy pants.”

“Aye aye captain.” She threw the goggles on the counter and ran to follow Lexa. Clarke had arranged lunch at a nice hotel because she wanted Anya to be able to show off her professional look. As they were seated, she realized she might have over shot the idea because Anya looked uncomfortable.

“Hello ladies can I get you something to drink.”

“Water, please.” Anya said first.

“Sparkling, still, or spring?”

“Sink?” Clarke intervened quickly. “Spring water would be great for all of us.” He left to get their orders.

“Oh, don’t look now.” Clarke mumbled to Lexa who seemed to be engrossed in the menu. Not listening to a word, she turned her head and was met by a tall, handsome man walking towards her. He had longish brown hair swept back with gel and a disturbingly sharp chin. Lexa internally cursed to herself, not wanting to have to awkwardly talk to anybody.

“Lexa!” He said, sickly sweet. He walked past tables of conversation and approached their table. As a courtesy, Lexa stood reaching out her hand to the man.

“Cage.” She said with as much indifference as possible.  

“You’d think that being rivals in a campaign, we would see each other more often, but it has been too long.” _Not long enough,_ she thought to herself.

“Well, starting next week you will get tired of seeing me.” Cage ignored her comment, fixating on the other two women at the table.

“Clarke, always nice to see you too.” He gave her a smile that was too familiar for Lexa’s taste. “And you must be Anya that I’ve been seeing all over the news.”

“She’s more adorable in person.” He comments to Lexa as if the girl wasn’t there.

“You must be Cage Wallace, the second most popular mayoral candidate in New York City.” Anya smiled wide and offered him her hand.

“She’s funny too. I like that.” He shook her hand. “Too bad, playing house isn’t going to save you in this election. This city doesn’t need another spoiled entrepreneur running it into the ground. They need someone that actually knows what it is like to be a middle class citizen…To be human not a recluse billionaire. No amount of charity cases you take in, will change that.” Clarke clenched her fist around her napkin, resisting throwing her freshly delivered spring water at him. It would be the best six dollar she ever spent.

“Cage, you can disrespect me all you want, but do not drag anyone else with me.” She stood to full height, meeting him at eye level. “And this is the same girl who helped _your_ father when he was hurt, remember that.” Her tone was dismissive and he knew that was his cue to leave. He didn’t make it a pace before turning back around. “Clarke, call me any time.” He gave a salacious wink and Lexa’s hand instinctually wrapped around the nearest utensil, which happened to be a knife. Clarke grabbed Lexa’s leg under the table and she eased off. When he was far enough away, they were all finally able to relax.

“I always need a shower after I talk to that guy. How is he appealing to anyone?” Clarke physically shuttered.

“Please don’t take anything he says for face value.” She grabbed Anya’s had reassuringly.

“He’s not wrong, though. I am a charity case, aren’t I? That’s why you originally agreed to this, because it would look good.” Anya’s defense mechanism was coming out.

“That’s enough.” Lexa said sternly.

“I don’t want you to ever say that again, do you understand me?” Anya nodded unconvincingly.

“I’m serious. If you think that is all you are worth then you aren’t the girl I thought you were. The circumstances that brought you to us might have been unconventional but that doesn’t make you a charity case. The second you want to leave you can. There’s the door. But please don’t think we don’t care for you as more than just as a person for pictures.” Lexa could feel that her words were more charged because of her interaction with Cage and she needed to diffuse her tone.

“Do you think I would make crepes for anyone off the street?” This got a laugh.

“I’m sorry. I know you care.”

“Good, now pick your outrageously expensive pieces of lettuce to go with your six dollar water.” As the girl looked at the menu, Clarke and Lexa talked with their eyes. It was a mix of frustration towards Cage and sadness for Anya. Under the table, Clarke grabbed her hand and held it until she could feel their breathing was synchronized and calm. After their food came, the tension lessened and they fell back into their normal playful conversation.

Back at work, Anya veered right with Clarke. They approached an office that was surprisingly larger than Lexa’s. On the door it said _Clarke Griffin, COE_. She slumped into Clarke’s much more fashionable lounge chairs and looked around at the office. This is what a professional’s office should look like. Everything was chrome but classy and there were smart screens behind her that had different internet screens running at the same time.

“What does COE mean?” She asked. “I’ve heard of COO and CEO but I’ve never heard of that.”

“It’s because it isn’t a real thing.” She laughed. “Lexa decided to be funny and give me that title because I do too many things. It literally stands for Chief of Everything.”

“You guys are odd.”

“I know but it works…which reminds me.” She reached over to her purse and pulled something out.

“Do you want a piece of gum? I hate having bad breath after lunch.” She unwrapped the bright red paper and tossed over a piece. Anya could instantly smell the cinnamon flavors.

“I usually don’t do this kind but that’s all they had left. It actually kind of funny because I used to chew this when I was younger to make my mom think I was sick. My face would get blood shot and really believed me. That’s what I get for having a doctor for a mom. You have to be _really_ good at faking.” Anya took the piece of gum cautiously knowing that the jig was up.

“You get so good that you can always tell when someone else is faking it.” She crossed her arms, nailing down the guilt trip. She waited several moments before Anya gave in.

“Fine I was faking it. But she was sad when we left the school and I thought it was my fault you got in argument so I wanted to fix it. She is only happy when she is with you and I don’t like seeing her unhappy.” Clarke walked around the desk ominously. Anya thought she was going to get a lecture about lying. Instead, she was brought into a big hug.

“Thank you. You really have no idea what you did for me.” Anya wrapped her arms around Clarke’s waist and hugged her tighter.

“You either.” She whispered.

“And you’re wrong by the way. I’m not the only thing that makes her happy. You do too.”  


	14. Chapter 14

A/N another chapter as promised. Also, if you don’t like fluff then there is no reason to read this story. I live on a fluffy Clexa cloud.

 

On Wednesday afternoon, Clarke got a surprising email from Lexa asking to see her in her office. She left Anya to organizing catalogs and made her way down the hall. She didn’t bother knocking on the door and walked in. Lexa was reading something that she didn’t seem to interested in.

“You summoned me?”

“Yes, I was just going to tell you to go home after work.”

“Okay?” Clarke was extremely confused. “I thought I was going to come over and prepare for the Armageddon that is going to be the movie premiere Friday.”

“I’ll pick you up at your apartment later.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier for me to just go back with you guys? I don’t need anything at home.” Lexa was avoiding eye contact and kept flipping through the folder that probably didn’t have anything in it.

“You can change into something more comfortable though so we can go get food.”

“I guess could grab that folder about the launch in New Jersey.”

“No work.” Lexa added quickly.

“Alright…I’ll see you guys later, then.” She started walking out the door.

“It wouldn’t be an “us”.” Lexa corrected. “Just me…I’d be the one picking you up for eating food.” It took a second for Clarke to process what was being proposed to her.

“Did you just ask me out on a date in the most obtuse way possible?” She couldn’t actually deal with how little game Lexa had.

“It’s not necessarily a date.” Lexa defended.

“Two people who are technically in a relationship, going out to eat alone with no work involved. That is literally the definition of a date.”

“Just forget it.” She spun back to her computer and began typing away. Clarke walked behind the desk and traced her hands up Lexa’s arms to her shoulders, squeezing them softly.

“I would love to go eat food with you alone.” She leaned over, placing a kiss on her cheek. “Even If it has to be as your dirty little secret.” Lexa couldn’t get out a defense before Clarke was out the door.

Lexa had been overwhelmingly nervous three times in her life. First, when she stood outside a court room when a judge was deciding on whether or not Gustus could adopt her. Second, when she receive the acceptance decision from NYU. Finally, in this moment as she stood outside the door of a small apartment. She had reached up to knock on the door two times and still couldn’t do it. She had no idea why she was so flustered. She had spent most of her time with Clarke over the past three years that another night should be nothing. Except, it wasn’t nothing. It was the first time they would be together, alone, with no work or responsibilities between them. They had always worked as Miss Woods and Miss Griffin with the Clarke and Lexa side of them bleeding in occasionally. Now, it was all Clarke and Lexa. She honestly didn’t know if Clarke would still like her if she got to really know her.

On the other side of the door, a similar crisis was occurring. Clarke had changed a dozen times and put her hair every way it could be adjusted. _It’s just Lexa,_ she kept saying to herself. The girl had seen her in sweat pants and a skank bunk, there was nothing she needed to hide. She heard a knock come from the front of her apartment and instantly panicked.

“Shit…Shit.” She looked herself over again in the mirror and ran to the door. Lexa had said to dress comfortably so she had on jeans and a fitted tee. Straightening out her shirt, she swung open the door. She couldn’t help but smile as she saw Lexa looking around aimlessly. When her eyes finally reached Clarke’s, she smiled as well.

“Hi.” She said shyly.

“Hi.” Lexa’s voice wasn’t more than a whisper as she took in how beautiful Clarke looked when she seemed to be in clothes that didn’t scream corporate. Her hair was also flowing to one side which was another rarity. Realizing she was starring for a moment too long, Lexa pulled her hand from behind her back revealing a single pansy. It was purple and white and slightly drooping from the amount of times Lexa had spun it around over the last ten minutes.

“You shouldn’t have.” Clarke commented, almost mockingly.

“I do love pansys, though. We have a whole flat of them outside of the com…” As she said it, Lexa’s face became red.

“You didn’t.”

“I was running late and didn’t know where to get real flowers so as soon as I saw it, I just went for it.”

“The future mayor of New York stole a flower for me?” Clarke feigned a tear drop.

“She would steal the moon, if it would make you happy.” Lexa said sincerely. Clarke’s face lit up and she reached over, kissing Lexa passionately, the flower falling to the ground.

“Take me to dinner before I drag you into this apartment.” Lexa led her into a car Clarke had never seen before. It was a small, powder puff blue chevy truck that looked like it had seen better days. The paint was chipped and there was a small crack in the front window. Lexa opened the front door and Clarke slid into the torn leather seat. There was an alligator head sitting in the dash and several graduation cords hanging on the rearview mirror.

“Did you also steal a high schoolers beater?” Clarke questioned.

“Pretty much. This was the first car I ever owned. Gustus helped me buy it when I was a senior in high school.” She sounded proud of the piece of junk.

“Where are we going?” Clarke wanted to ask earlier but she resisted. Her real question was whether or not they were going somewhere that would put them at risk for being photographed.

“It’s a surprise…but it’s going to take about thirty minutes to get there so I brought you another present.” Lexa reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a square package. Clarke slowly unwrapped it revealing a CD case. On the front was a hand drawn cover that said _Mixtape #1_ _by DJ Lexa_. She quickly got the disk out and put it into the player. Kelly Clarkson instantly began blasting through one speaker. Lexa began to dorkily dance doing moves like the Q-tip, one-handed sprinkler, and shopping cart.

“You’re going to crash this vehicle if you don’t stop.” Clarke flipped the case over and started skimming through the song lists. Some were romantic and sweet like _My Life Would Suck Without You, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,_ and _Kiss the Girl._ Others were just blatant throw backs like _Baby Boy, The Boys of Summer,_ and _Seven Nation Army._ She laughed as she read every title especially the last one, _Dirty Little Secret._

“Did you make this when I left your office today?”

“You’ll never know.” Lexa teased. Thirty minutes of jams and embarrassing dancing later, Lexa pulled off of the highway and onto a dirt road. Clarke realized why she might need the truck. She hadn’t been paying enough attention to where they were geographically but guessed it was somewhere in the woods. Lexa continued to drive off the road until they reached a path that moved them uphill. After they finally leveled out, Lexa pulled out of the trees into a clearing that overlooked a camp ground of some sort. There was nobody below them and if it wasn’t for the headlights it would be completely dark. Lexa turned off the engine.

“Wait here for a second.” Clarke would have complied anyways, not one for the pitch black. After several minutes, Lexa opened Clarke’s door and led her out.

“What are we doing? I thought we were going to eat food.”

“Shhhh.” Lexa put a finger to her mouth. She led her behind the truck to where the hatch had been lowered revealing a plethora of pillows and blankets. There was a pizza box in the corner and a bottle of wine. Clarke was impressed but still didn’t know why they had to be outside for this. Lexa could sense this.

“Look up.” She whispered. As Clarke did, her breath caught in her throat. Overhead, the sky was lit up with more stars then she had ever seen in her life. There wasn’t a cloud or tree in sight, and the universe glimmered in its full glory.

“You said you wanted to know me, really know me.” Lexa began. “Well, this is what I love. The stars, space, everything we can see but can never touch. It is amazing to me.” She helped Clarke into the back of the truck and they settled themselves on their backs, looking up. Lexa reached between them and laced their fingers together. Without prompting, she began to point all of the different clusters of stars explaining their background and the great Greek myths some of them had. She answered Clarke’s questions about the different classes of stars and they laid together for what felt like eternity. When Lexa’s knowledge ran out, they laid together in peaceful silence. Clarke nuzzled into her chest, their breathing in time, as they simply existed together without the weight the world waiting for them miles away. Lexa drew lazy circles into her back until they had both fallen asleep, never actually eating the food that was promised.

They woke up in the early dawn as there was no protection against the sun’s rays. Lexa was up first and smiled at how tangled they had become, yet still slept comfortably. Clarke had taken over half of her body and was grasping her abdomen as if it was a pillow.

“Hey.” She said softly, sweeping hair to the side.

“No, not yet.” Clarke nestled in closer.

“It’s five Clarke, if we don’t get back there will be a very angry ten year old.” Clarke reluctantly sat up, the sleep still in her eyes. Lexa had braced her arms behind her, almost sitting up completely. She grinned at Clarke’s dopiness after first waking up. The woman smiled and leaned in for a soft peck on the lips before stretching out completely, nearly hitting Lexa in the face. She reached over to the pizza box and went to grab a slice.

“If you do that, I will leave you on this mountain.” Lexa warned.

“I’m so hungry though.” She whined in response.

“There’s a starbucks ten minutes from here. Get your ass in the car and act civilized.” Clarke walked as slowly as possible out of the truck bed, leaving Lexa to put the cover back on to prevent everything from blowing away. She was able to feed Clarke and make it back to the loft before six. They opened the door as quietly as possible and tiptoed towards the kitchen. As they did, all of the lights in the hallway lit up.

“Do you know what time it is?” they both turned, still slightly crouched from trying to slink about. Anya had her arms crossed, her foot tapping the floor.

“Lexa you were supposed to be home over six hours ago. Do you know how worried I was?” Clarke hid behind Lexa, letting her take all the blame.

“I…uhh…probably really worried.” She looked down at the floor.

“And you Clarke.”

“Who, me? I’m not Clarke.” She shielded herself more.

“You’re supposed to be the responsible one.” Anya threw her hands in the air. “I know work is important, but you guys can’t stay at the office all night like that.” They both looked at each other realizing they hadn’t been completely busted.

“The office, right. So much work to get done. Completely lost track of time.” Clarke elbowed Lexa in the side.

“Exactly. We were so busy with dossiers and management divisional packages to prepare.” Lexa finished.

“…and the board presentation!”

“The board presentation!” Lexa excitedly pointed at Clarke and back to Anya because when she was nervous her hands had a mind of their own.

“Just don’t do it again.”

“Yes ma’am.” They said in unison. Anya slinked off back to her room and they peered around the corner until they saw the door shut completely. Clarke began to laugh but Lexa quickly cupped her hand over her mouth because she was so loud.

“That was a close call.”  Lexa breathed a sigh of relief, releasing her.

“Thank you for last night.” Clarke said sincerely. “That was the best non-date I’ve ever been on.”

“It doesn’t have to be over yet…want to go cuddle until we have to be up in an hour?”

“Is Alpha Centauri the closest star system to ours?” Clarke quirked an eyebrow, walking off towards Lexa’s room.

“Jok.” _Fuck._ Yep, she was in love with this girl.

 

 


	15. THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE

Hey guys, this is not an update I just wanted to say that I am trying to find a way to finish this story. It is not that I don't know where it is going. i have it all written out, I know exactly where I want it to go but last night all of the fluff and happiness that I had with this fandom was just taken. As much as I loved the canon part of Clexa, it was all the other stuff that made it even more special--the candles, Fish the dog, "for my people". All of those things made me so damn happy and that's what got infused in this story. Last night blew out our metaphorical candle. I promise to finish this story but it can't be today. I have a chapter ready but I think we need to feel the shock of that episode before we try to go back to the happy times. Thank you all for your love of this story, it has made me happier than I have been in a long time. I hope you finish it even though the joy at the end will never be possible in canon. All my love to all those out there who are hurting because another great beacon of representation was taken from us.


	16. Chapter 16

a/n I thought I wasn’t going to update for a while. I thought that I needed time to heal but FUCK that. A few chapters ago I had said that I used to escape to fanfiction to feel represented but the 100 was doing such a good job it felt like I couldn’t do it justice. Who would have thought that this is all we have left. I refuse to give up on this. I will shamelessly finish this fic and then I will write another and another and another. Lexa’s spirit is in all of us now. She CHOSE us as her next commander, her thirteenth clan, her legacy. We are better for having known her and we will continue to be influenced by how she acted as a character. She has no equal in my eyes and I am honored to continue to give her life. For everyone who is hurting because of this know that you deserve and will get better. That is not your fate.  _Yu gonplei nou ste odon nowe_.

Let’s get back to the REAL clexa. The fluff, smiles, and adorkable women we love.

 

"I'm not doing this." Lexa folded her arms and laid back on her bed, refusing to move.

"You have four pre-teens in the other room who think otherwise." Clarke grabbed one of the navy pillows from the top of the bed and threw it in Lexa’s general direction.

"This is ridiculous." She pointed to the clothes bag sitting next to her. "I'm taking them to a movie premiere, why can't they just be happy with that? Alie.”

“Yes, Miss Woods.” The monotone woman responded.

“Give me the synopsis of “Sky People”, please.” She waited patiently as the computer gathered the data.

“Sky People is a movie based on a best-selling book series. A group of witches are banished to a land in the sky but are forced down to earth after a great disaster. The ground is not the same place they left and they are instantly brought into a war with a clan of people called Azgeda. The prince of Azgeda and the princess of the Sky form an unlikely alliance to save both of their people. It has a 4.5 star rating on all polled sites.”

"See, it doesn’t sound terrible. Just put this on and stop whining. We are seriously going to be late."

"No."

"Then I will put it on for you." Clarke started to lunge at her, mostly tickling her.

"I don't see how this is technically a punishment.” Lexa laughed, squirming under Clarke.

“Put it on!” Clarke curled her legs around Lexa’s torso, trying to reach up for her shirt.

“Noooo.” Lexa held the bag out of Clarke’s reach and spun them around, pinning Clarke down.

“Ahem.” They both stopped their fighting and looked up. Anya had her arms crossed, holding another bag in her hand. Clarke threw Lexa off of her quickly. She rolled off of the bed and landed on the floor with an _umph_. She glared up towards Clarke who had flipped over and propped herself up on her elbows.

“Hey squish. Ready to go?” Anya just rolled her eyes looking at Lexa sprawled out on the floor and Clarke not seeming to care.

“For the most part. I forgot to drop your costume off.” Lexa instantly perked up.

“My what?” Before Anya could respond, Lexa had swiped the bag out of her hand and waved it in front of Clarke’s face.

“No.” She yelled. “Don’t you dare.” She crawled off of the bed and ran towards the dresser reaching for any kind of defense. She grabbed a high school soccer trophy and pointed it at her menacingly. Lexa was still somehow able to grab her up, encasing her in the bag, and spinning her around. Clarke dropped the trophy as Lexa spun them closer to the bed.

“Children!” Anya shouted. Lexa stopped moving, her arms still wrapped around Clarke’s waist.

“Lexa, let the princess go.”

“I am not a princess.” Clarke defended. “I am a strong independent woman.”

“Yeah…you were getting thrown around by a strong woman.” Clarke stuck her tongue out.

“But seriously Anya, why do we have to wear these things?” The pout on her face was real and deep.

“Because I have to get dressed up for press pictures, you can do this for me.”

“Fine.”

“Great, you have fifteen minutes because I am not missing the previews!”

“Nobody likes the previews.” Anya glared at her and Lexa threw her arms up in surrender.

“Fine, fifteen minutes.” Anya knew they actually had about twenty minutes but it was always safe to have wiggle room with those two. She walked out of the room into the living room where the other girls were all dressed up in their “Sky People” costumes.

“Are they almost ready?” Reese asked.

“Not yet they are being weird.”

“Do they still think that you don’t know they are together?”

“I honestly hope Lexa never has to keep a secret as mayor because the city would be screwed.”

Lexa had at least got her costume out of the bag but still refused to put it on. She moved the material over in her hand, knowing it was going to itch her in the first minutes of having it on.

“It looks like a biker gang met Han Solo and had a child.”

“Better than mine.” Clarke pulled out the long flowing blue dress out of the package. “It kind of looks like what Greek gods would wear except uncomfortable.”

“Well you are a goddess so.”

“Cute. It’s not going to get you out of this though.”

“I’m sorry but nothing could make me want to put this get up on.”

“Really.” Clarke’s voice became low. She pulled the zipper down on her dress and slipped it off. Lexa’s eyes became saucers as Clarke stepped out in only her matching underwear.

“You’re being a tease.” She finally mustered out, glad that she was sitting because she would have surely fallen over.

“You’re right. This is kind of like a preview, and you don’t like those.” Clarke reached for the dress but Lexa grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. Clarke responded by wrapping her hands around her neck.

“You are so beautiful….Every single thing about you is breath taking.” She said sincerely. “It’s actually hard to think when I’m around you.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Clarke tried to pull away but Lexa held her there.

“I’m serious…I don’t even know how to explain it. You are just fascinating.” Clarke starred down at her bewildered by the confession.

“That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Clarke leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, leaving her head resting on Lexa’s. They stayed like that until an impatient knock came to the door. They scrambled and threw their costumes on without any complaining. They stood in front of each other taking in the ridiculous the outfits they were in. Clarke was right; she looked like she belonged Before Common Era. The plastic golden tiara sealed the look making her absolutely regal. Lexa, on the other hand, looked like she was about to mount a Harley. The skin tight black pants, cream tunic, and leather jacket didn’t seem to fit with Clarke’s outfit at all.

“What the hell are we seeing again?” Clarke ignored her and grabbed her hand, dragging her out the door.

“Let’s go kiddos.” They filed into the elevator, all in an assortment of different outfits. When the elevator door opened in the basement, Lexa almost dropped everything in her hands. Indra was standing in front of a limo wearing combat boots, a fur vest, and satchel across her chest.

“What the hell are you wearing?” She didn’t even bother to sensor herself.

“You think I was going to let you go to this thing without me, Heda? She opened the door to the limo and all the girls piled in.

“I even read the books.” She slid in next to Lexa and patted her leg. “I see that you two didn’t.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Indra laughed it off and signaled for the driver to take them out. When they reached downtown, they were ushered into the line with all of the other press and celebrities. The streets were completely blocked off with screaming fans all around. The classic red carpet stretched through an entire block, leading into the theatre. Cameras were flashing every few steps with the actors and other guests posing against various back drops.

“Alright guys. Number one rule is not to split up. Okay?” They all nodded in excitement. Indra waited for the valet to open the door and got out first. The rush of August heat wasn’t the first thing to hit them. The lights were blinding, even for early evening. As they all got out, it was impossible to discern what they were supposed to do. Voices blended together and every time they turned around, another person was yelling at them. Lexa put a reassuring hand on Anya’s shoulder. She bent down so she could hear her.

“Just smile and keep walking.” She whispered. The girls walked together ahead of them and became more comfortable. They all posed in silly ways eliciting laughs from much of the paparazzi. Lexa headed towards the reputable news outlets and answered the usual questions.

“Miss Woods we love the enthusiasm. The costume is a nice touch.” Someone from Channel 3 shoved a microphone in her face, his aftershave lingering all over the device.

“Well, when a ten year old tells you, you’re doing something…you’re probably going to do it.” Clarke stayed close behind her, stifling a laugh because the press had no idea how much Anya had Lexa wrapped around her finger. The heat of the day began to take its affect as a sheen of sweat was evident on everyone they talked to.

“Miss Griffin also was roped into this?” A voice asked.

“It was her job or the dress.” Clarke stepped up closer and pointed the microphone towards her.

“You all have the recorded right? I’ll need that when I sue her.” All of the reporters began laughing.

“Last question Miss Woods?” Lexa nodded to a young girl who looked like she worked for a middle school paper with only a pen and a pad of paper.

“Are your costumes any indication of your personal life?” Lexa didn’t understand the question. How could a costume have any implication of her personal life? A gush of wind blew past, kicking up the girl’s papers. It gave Lexa a brief moment to consider her answer.

“I don’t know how this get up will say anything but there shouldn’t be any rumors about my personal life. If I want to talk about it, I will say it explicitly.” Clarke grabbed her shoulder to continue to the next set of reporters, when the girl in front of her began snickering. She looked between the two women and something behind them. Clarke turned and went white.

“Lexa.” She whispered. Lexa was still trying to say something to the young reporter but her head was forcibly turned around.

“What?” she said annoyed. Clarke dragged her a few feet away from the nosy voices with cameras.

“Look at the movie poster.” She pointed towards the hundred foot image of a man in a dark leather jacket with a blonde woman grabbing on his shoulder, dressed in a blue flowing dress.

“What?” She repeated.

“Oh my god, be human for five seconds… Lexa, we are the poster.”  She pulled at her dress showing it was the exact same as the woman in the poster, their likeness actually scary. Lexa looked at herself realizing she even had the holster on the same leg as the ruggedly handsome boy. Lexa turned back to the young girl and indicated for her to cross the line and come over to her.

“Those are the main characters, right?” She nodded, her pig tails moving up and down. 

“The prince and princess, who end up together?” The girl almost didn’t want to respond because of the tone in Lexa’s voice. Lexa took in a deep breath and came to full height, peering at all of the people behind her.

“There’s nothing I’m going to say that will make this look less like what it looks like, is there?”

“I don’t think so.” She said honestly.

 “Excellent.” If she denied it, then it could be brought up later that she was a liar. If she said something it could break boundaries that her and Clarke were not ready to pass. She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes a few time in order to address the kid with as much charm as possible.

“The official word is no comment. We are just here to have a good time.” She patted the girls back and sent her back to the other reporters, giving a slight wave to everyone else. She put her hand on the small of Clarke’s back and led her on to where Indra had rounded up the tiny humans.

“What are you thinking?” Clarke whispered.

“There is a Slytherine among us.” Lexa hissed out. Clarke couldn’t tell if she meant that as a joke or if she was about to call a snake exterminator. Anya was still posing with the girls when she caught Lexa’s glare. She immediately knew that the jig was up and began to hide behind Indra. Lexa picked up her pace but Clarke grabbed her wrist.

“Happy thoughts.”

“How long can you legally ground a child?”

“Babe.” The pet name slipped out before she could catch it. Lexa stopped, her scrunched glare shifting to an upturned eye brow.

“Babe?” She mused.

“Don’t kill the child.” Clarke glazed over her mistake.

“Whatever you say…honey.” Lexa’s voice was sickly sweet, dragging out the end of the word. She walked behind Anya and put both hands on her shoulders, smiling for the cameras.

“Hey kiddo.”

“Lexa…” She muttered through gritted teeth.

“Aren’t you so excited to see this movie about star crossed lovers who happen to look just like Clarke and I?” There was no correct answer.

“Ummm…yeaaanoooye.” She looked back up to Lexa, squishing her nose up, hoping her innocence would shine through.

“You know your punishment, right?” Anya’s face fell, figuring it would mean they wouldn’t get to stay for the movie.

“We’re going home aren’t we?” Lexa couldn’t keep the act up. The kid really did have her wrapped around her finger.

“Going home? And let all these people miss you getting attacked by the tickle monster.” Before Anya could register what was happening. Lexa had her wrapped up in a tickling hug.

“No, Lexa. Not tickling…you know I can’t…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, laughs overcoming language. Lexa gave her a quick reprieve and she messed her hand through her hair. All the interviews and photographers had stopped what they were doing and honed in on the exchange. Anya threw her hands in the air, still recovering her breath from laughing.

“I give up.” She dramatically fell on the floor.

“I think we have our first casualty of the Sky People.” Lexa kneeled down scooped her up and threw her over her shoulder like a fire man. “We will avenge you!” The other girls gathered around Lexa.

“To war!” She held up her free hand and marched them towards the theater. Clarke put a hand to her face, embarrassed but secretly loving every second of it.

“Sorry guys…” She spoke to the cameras who didn’t seem to know if it was really a joke or something serious. “This is like a normal Friday at our house.”  She went to follow them and was joined by Indra.

“Darling.” She said softly.

“Yeah Indra?” She didn’t understand the other woman’s tone.

“You just said _our_ house.” Clarke stopped in her tracks.

“No I didn’t. I said _her_ house.” She defended. “Didn’t I?” Indra left her there, shaking her head as she found the girls all in line for popcorn and drinks.

“Shit.” Clarke muttered to herself, catching up. Lexa picked up on Clarke’s concerned face and moved towards her, thinking it was her fault.

“Sorry about that. You know we get carried away sometimes.”

“It’s not you. I just might have done something bad but let’s not worry about it, okay? Let’s have fun watching our on screen counterparts stop a war!”

“Okay.” Lexa grabbed a piece of popcorn and fed it into Clarke’s mouth. They found their seats rather easily and were sandwiched in between children and an uncomfortable Indra. The movie didn’t start for another thirty and they busied entertaining themselves with the entire back story of the characters. Indra adorably bickered with the girls about which side was right and who the greatest character was. Someone got on the stage and said a few words about the cast and crew and then the theatre went dark. There were a few shrieks from overly dramatic girls and an easily startled mayoral candidate. The previews rolled through and Lexa already wanted to go to sleep. Thirty minutes into the movie, she wished she had read the books. Nothing made sense and every five seconds a new character was coming in.

“Do you understand what is going on?” Clarke whispered into her ear. Lexa popped a piece of the dwindling popcorn supply in her mouth.

“Nope. You’re on-screen twin is hot though.” This earned her an elbow to the side eliciting a groan.

“Shhh.” All four girls turned their head towards her. 

“You’re twin is pretty hot too.” Lexa glared, knowing she couldn’t retaliate. Well, she couldn’t retaliate with violence. There were other ways. She put the popcorn on her right leg, obscuring her hand. Adjusting herself under the arm rest, she carefully brushed fingers onto Clarke’s dress covered thigh. The response was immediate, Clarke jumped in her chair, nearly knocking the popcorn over. She propped her elbow on the other arm rest, as far away from Lexa as possible. This didn’t perturb the woman. She took her whole hand and rested it on the top of Clarke’s knee, moving her thumb in circles as she inched her hand higher. She kept her eyes forward, her smile growing bigger as she could feel Clarke squirming. She dared a look to her right and could see the blonde’s face getting red. Clarke reached her limit and put her hand on top of Lexa’s. Lexa was ready for her hand to be put back but instead Clarke flipped it over, entwining their fingers together. Lexa continued to rub soothing circles into her hand. They started to actually focus back into the movie, feeling like teenagers who had just done something scandalous for the first time. Clarke shifted towards Lexa and laid her head on her shoulder, completely ignoring the theater full of people.

“Clarke.” Lexa whispered worriedly.

“Two minutes.” Lexa conceded, laying her head on top. Anya nudged Indra and they both looked over at the adorable couple. Indra put out her fist and Anya pounded it.

“God they look happy.” She admitted. A cold chill went down her arms as she thought about the last time she saw Lexa so content and comfortable. She swiped the tear out of her eye and focused back on the screen. Anya grabbed her hand and squeezed it, always perceptive of what other people are feeling. On the screen, a spear flew through the air and hit one of the main characters, causing everyone to jump. Lexa’s popcorn had spilled in a few rows.

“Sorry!” she tried to whisper loudly.

“Shhhh.” The hoard of tweens responded. She grabbed the few pieces of leftover popcorn and threw it at their backs.

The movie ended to applause, tears, and very confused adults. Although she would deny it, some of the tears were coming from Lexa’s eyes. She swallowed hard, trying to remove the lump in her throat. Clarke wasn’t even making fun of her because she was in the same position but the tears were much more apparent.

“I just don’t understand…” She said in disbelief. “Their love was so pure. You can’t just kill the main character after they say they love each other.”

“How will the Sky princess keep going?” Lexa added. The other girls and Indra had already stood up and starred down at the catatonic women.

“I just…I feel so betrayed.”

“Me too.”

“Guys.” They both turned to Anya, eyes still full of water.

“There are two more books. He’s not actually dead.” They held onto each other, breathing out exaggeratedly, and dabbing the tears from their eyes.

“Oh, thank God. I thought I was going to have to buy the rights to the screen play to bring him back.”

“Can we go to the party now?” The other girls begged, watching everyone else already clear out of the theater.

“Party?” Lexa narrowed her eyes at Clarke.

“I didn’t mention that? Funny I’m pretty…” She didn’t finish her sentence opting to run out of the seats. “Hurry before she can tell us no.” She yelled behind her, nearly tripping over her dress. Indra and Lexa were left in a practically empty theatre. Lexa took this moment to stretch and to brace herself for what would sure to be a fluff filled evening.

“Anything you want to tell me, yongon.” _Child._

“I really like her…” Lexa mused.

“Like or love?” This caught her off guard. The non-answer was enough for Indra.

“You’ve always done what was best for everyone else. It’s not wrong to do something for yourself. If I were you, I would go over to that party and have a great time with your girlfriend and your daughter.” Lexa’s head shot up.

“Ai laik nou Nomon.” _I am no mother._

“Keep telling yourself that.” She nudged her shoulder playfully.

“Did you ever think I would be here? A kid living with me… a girlfriend…potentially a political office.” She numbered them off on her fingers.

“No but it’s not a bad look on you.”

“Better than _this_ outfit.” She picked a piece of fuzz off the jacket and threw it on the floor, wishing she could throw the whole thing away.

“Come on, or your girlfriend is going to break up with you.” Indra pushed her up the stairs forcefully.

The party was in the adjoining hotel and it was nothing short of an absolute spectacle. One step into the door and Lexa could already smell a mix of acrylic paint and sugar.  The soundtrack from the movie was blaring in the background. The room was divided between the two clans. On the right, the Sky People had deep blue tables covered with white cotton balls and glass orbs filled with sand. There were actors dressed up as the major witches, prancing around throwing dust in peoples’ faces as if they were being cursed. On the wall there was a projection of their kingdom in the sky crashing to earth, with lights flashing and puffs of smoke creeping from the floor. On the other side, the brightness of the white was replaced with deep greens and browns. Fake littered the floor with hunting nets hanging from the branches, threatening to capture the sky people. There were more actors with war paint on their faces and toy swords holstered to their side.

Lexa spotted the group in the middle of the room watching a fight between two opposing clan members. There was an entire arena set up in the middle of the floor with wooden posts separating actors from spectators. She pushed through several people, unidentified liquids spilling on her hand. The grunts of _excuse me_ went unanswered as she tried to trek what felt like several miles but was actually a hundred yards. She arrived, out of breath, and in need of hand sanitizer.

“The prince has arrived!” An actor shouted towards her. He was dressed in similar clothes to her. His black pants were purposefully ripped in different places and his grey t-shirt was stained with fake blood. His face was painted with a dark line from his left eye down to the point of his chin.

“The Sky People stand no chance against the son of the King.” Lexa was still wiping the strange liquid off of her hands when it was grabbed and dragged over the barriers and into the middle of the arena. The whole area had spotlights on it with symbols drawn signifying the opposing sides.  

“Defend your people, sire.” His commitment to the role was startling. He unholstered the sword at his waist and handed it out to her. She took it as a joke but was surprised at how heavy it felt in her hand. _Isn’t this supposed to be plastic_ , she thought. In front of her, a large man unsheathed his own sword and spun it in the air. He was dressed in much lighter clothing with white paint covering half his face. His long hair was braided out of the way of his full bearded face. It was obvious he was supposed to represent the Sky People.

“You can’t have our princess!” He grabbed Clarke out of the crowd and held her hand in the air. There were cheers from half of the gawking people, while the other’s booed. Clarke looked extremely uncomfortable. It didn’t help that the actor was holding on longer than necessary. Lexa picked up on her uneasiness.

“Hey let go of her.” She moved closer, talking as Lexa not as the prince. He leant down and whispered something in Clarke’s ear that made her push him off. All Lexa heard was “baby.” He laughed to himself, raising the sword in the air as if he had already won. Lexa was pissed. She didn’t know if he was just playing up the role or what but a line was drawn.

“For Azgeda!” She shouted, not realizing how forceful her voice was coming out. She spun the sword in her hand as well, getting accustomed to the weight. Her heart was pounding in her ears as the first beads of sweat came down from her face. The room wasn’t well ventilated and she was covered head to toe which didn’t help.

“You challenge me?” His words dripped with misogyny.

“Lexa.” Clarke tried to snap the obviously heated woman out of it.

“I am not Lexa…” She handed the sword to her comrade and stripped off her jacket, throwing it forcefully to the ground “…I am Prince Roan of Azgeda.” Everyone cheered, gathering more attention.

“Chick, are you serious?” The bulky australopithecine walked closer. “I will destroy you.”

“Scared?” She taunted.

“This was supposed to be an act, but I’m going to enjoy this.” He flexed his muscle in her face and blew her a kiss. The boy who had given Lexa the sword didn’t know what to do. He was told the Roan actor would be a girl that evening because of a cancellation. He had just assumed Lexa was her but she wasn’t following the script they had been given.

“Ma’am this was choreographed specifically, you’re going to get hurt.” He whispered quietly so the crowd wouldn’t hear him. “If he is willing to fight, so am I.” Lexa let go of most things, misogyny was not one of them.  

“In a fight for the Princess’s hand Prince Roan challenges Alak of the Sky.” Lexa wiped the sweat from her face and positioned herself across from Alak. She reached out her hand for a handshake but he knocked it out of the way lightly with the end of his sword. The space around the arena became instantly crowded. Clarke was absolutely mortified.

“Does the princess have anything to say?” Whoever was controlling the lights directed one on Clarke. She put her hand in the air trying to shield her eyes. She walked into the center and stood between the competitors. 

“This is ridiculous, stop.”

“Clarke, it’s just for show. I’ll be fine.” Lexa’s words weren’t very confident but her stubbornness was.

“If you get hurt, I’m going to kill you.” She gave up and walked out of the arena gate to stand next to Indra who had a hand on Anya’s excited shoulders.

“Why aren’t you trying to stop her?”

“When she makes up her mind, have you ever been able to stop her?” Clarke conceded. The atmosphere of the room changed. The music stopped leaving Lexa’s heartbeat the loudest thing she could hear. The lights were turned down low and only the spot lights of the arena were on. Someone changed the track to drums beating and her heart fell in time. There was a moment of complete silence before the boy yelled, “You may begin.”

Lexa didn’t realize what she was getting herself into as the man barreled at her with his sword flailing in the air. She parried the sloppy swing and used the butt of the sword to knock him in the arm. He became unbalanced and fell to his knees momentarily. The crowd laughed, embroiling his anger. Lexa held her sword out, taking careful steps around him. They parried back and forth. He landed an elbow into her side causing her to take a few steps backwards, off balance. He lunged again and she caught his swipe down with the flat of her sword. He pushed harder causing her to fall to one knee. The sweat already was building on her palms and she could feel the hilt of the sword slipping.

“You’re done for.” He muttered, a string of spit reaching her already sweat drenched forehead. She couldn’t hold on much more and clenched her teeth, transferring all her strength to her legs. He started to adjust his grip on the sword and she took this opportunity to push up as hard as possible. The hilt of her sword landed squarely on his skull. She was about to apologize when a fist made contact with her chin. She stumbled backwards, grabbing her throbbing face. Blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth and she as soon as the iron reached her tongue she was filled with a new sense of energy.

She planted her feet and swung the sword around skillfully. Her eyes became black as she made her first move. He tried to block every step but she continued to back him up.  As he tried to shield his left side, she kicked him in the back of the knee causing him to kneel. He put the sword in front of his face and she spun using the momentum to knock the sword completely from his hand. As the metal sounded on the floor, the tip of her sword was at his throat.

“Yu gonplei ste odon.” She didn’t realize how silent the room had become until it erupted in applause. Her breathing caught up to her and she dropped the sword unable to remain standing while holding it. She licked her lip still tasting the blood. The Azgeda boy ran over to her and lifted her hand in the air.

“The victor!” The lights sprung on and the music came to life with an upbeat song. Clarke pushed past the person at the gate into the make shift arena. Lexa mustered the most arrogant smile she could manage.

“I told you I’d win.” It didn’t sound very convincing as her breathing was still ragged. Clarke ignored what she was saying and grabbed her neck, pulling her into a hug. Lexa winced realizing she must have pulled something.  

“The Princess has accepted the victor.” The boy added his commentary. Lexa walked over to the beaten man and held out her hand.

“Come on.” He took it and she pulled him up, even though every muscle in her side was begging her to stop. She lifted his hand with her own and pulled it down to where they were both bowing.

“You put up a hell of a fight.” He admitted.

“See those girls over there.” She twisted him around towards her personal fan club. “When you say misogynistic comments to women, you are setting an example to those young girls. Think about that next time.” She left him to tend to his bruised leg and ego. She walked back over to Clarke, wrapping her arm over her shoulder partly for show partly because everything mostly hurt.

“Can we find some ice, please?” She groaned.

“Yes, but you have to go see your fans.” As Lexa walked out of the arena, everyone was giving her high fives and pats on the back. Little girls were looking up at her like she was the movie star. Even parents were giving her kudos. Clarke was able to make enough of a path to the rest of the crew. Lexa saw Indra first whose face was a mix of anger and pride.

“Do you think Gustus is going to ground me or pat me on the back?”

“That was the coolest thing I have ever seen.” Reese interrupted. She had somehow acquired cotton candy and was currently getting her sticky hands all over Lexa’s side as she hugged her. 

“You just took a guy down twice your size.” Lexa squared her shoulders confidently. “I thought you were old.” Izzie finished, deflating her ego.

“Anya what did you think?”

“You were a little slow with your first series…and how did you not block that punch?” Against her bodies limitations, she grabbed the kid and knuckle rubbed her head until her hair was in complete disarray.

“You guys stay with Indra, party it up. I need ice.” Clarke took her shoulder again and walked them through the hallway doors. The lobby made them realize just how loud and bright everything was in the venue. They walked down a flight of marble stairs towards the hotel bar. The doors opening from the outside brought in a gust of wind that was heaven on Lexa’s hot skin. She stopped their movements, wanting to stand in the wind tunnel a bit longer. She groaned as Clarke forced her to keep moving. There were two free stools at the bar and they sat down.

“You look like shit.” The bartender walked over, swinging her white towel over her shoulder.

“Thanks…” Lexa squinted her eyes at her name tag. “Bri.”

“Can I get a cup of ice and a shot of something?” The woman placed the cup in front of her. Clarke didn’t wait and grabbed a piece of ice and a napkin. She took Lexa’s chin and tilted it up, placing the ice on the side of her face that had been the unfortunate recipient of a fist. Lexa smelled the jack before she heard a glass fill up. She pushed Clarke’s hand away momentarily and threw back the drink. The alcohol burned her cut causing her to squint her eyes shut as tight as possible.

“Another please.” Clarke continued to dab at the dried blood.

“You know you’re an idiot for doing that?”

“What did he say to you?” Lexa questioned.

“It doesn’t matter.” Lexa grabbed her wrist and put it down on the wooden counter, refusing to allow her to continue without an answer.

“It matters to me.”

“He said that if he won he would take me home and make me his baby.” Lexa took a deep breath, momentarily wishing she had hit him a little bit harder.

“You got him back for it, though. I am very impressed with my knight in skin tight leather.” She placed a kiss to her darkening bruise, ignoring the threat of people seeing. The moment was broken by a buzzing under the bar top.

“Either my ears are still ringing, or someone is trying to get a hold of you.” Clarke grabbed her phone and put up her finger, indicating she would be back soon. Lexa turned back towards the bar forgoing manners by allowing her elbows to collapse on the counter. She took the next shot of alcohol hoping it would clean her wound and numb some of the pain.

“You fought off a guy for your girl?”  A voice piped up a few seats down. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to butt in. I just couldn’t help but over hear your harrowing tale.”

“Yeah, this actor for the new movie Sky People was getting a little too into character.” She laughed, regretting it immediately, her hand moving to nurse her side.

“Bri, get her something on me.” The woman slid a bill across the table.

“No, really. I’ve got four kids I have to get back to. I don’t need anymore.” 

“Get her what I’m having, then.” She held up a tall glass with a red, bubbling liquid in it. “No alcohol, promise.” As the bartender put the drink together, the other woman moved a few chairs down.

“Four kids, that seems excessive.”

“They aren’t mine. Well one is…sort of…my head hurts.” She took the cold cup and didn’t bother drinking it, settling for using it as an ice pack. She didn’t even mind the water dripping down her face, mixing in with sweat and blood. Another woman came up behind her new friend, placing a protective hand on her shoulder.

“You look like shit.”

“Toni!” The brunette scolded. 

“It’s fine. If she told me I looked good, I’d be concerned.” This caused smiles all around. Clarke came back surprised Lexa was engaging with the group of women.

“Hey.” She interrupted what sounded like the story of the fight. “There is something wrong with the factory. Titus is in an absolute panic. I know you took a beating but they need you to make decisions I can’t.” Lexa stood up quickly, nearly knocking over her glass.

“I’ll take a cab over now. Can you get the girls to Nia?” Clarke pulled out money from somewhere hidden but was turned away.

“They already paid.” She nodded to the couple Lexa had been talking to.

“It’s not every day you get to buy the future mayor of New York a drink.” The taller woman winked. Clarke and Lexa walked out of the bar.

“Tell the girls I’m sorry.”

“They’ll understand.” Clarke squeezed her arm reassuringly and made her way back up the stairs. Lexa watched as the dress flowed from side to side, disappearing back into the dystopian party. She reached into her pocket and turned her phone off of airplane mode, getting a dozen alerts from Titus, her factory manager.

Clarke was able to find the girls easily. In the twenty minutes she had been gone, they became covered in paint, glitter, and various paraphernalia from the movie. Anya had black paint all around her eyes making her look like a small raccoon. The other girls had various lines and symbols everywhere.

“Where’s Lexa?” Anya asked as she grabbed a paint brush to draw on Clarke’s cheek.

“Work emergency.” The girl accepted it and drew a spiraling circle on the woman’s cheek. The paint was itchy on her face but she didn’t peel it off. After another hour and total exhaustion, Clarke was able to file all the girls into the car and dropped three of them back with Nia. Clarke made sure they all ended up inside safely and glared at the leathery woman the whole time. When she got back in the limo, she saw how tired Anya looked. Her eyes kept slipping closed. Clarke wordlessly called her over. Anya settled her head on her leg and curled her legs up on the rest of the leather seat. Clarke ran her hands through the girl’s hair as the car began to move. It didn’t take long before the girl was completely asleep. When they finally reached the loft it was past midnight and there was no hope that the girl was going to walk herself in.

“Want me to help?” Indra offered.

“No go on home, you have helped so much tonight. I really appreciate it.” Indra took the girl off her lap and helped Clarke out of the car before she placed the girl back in her arms. Clarke thanked their driver for the evening and proceeded to walk up the steps to the elevator. She pushed the button and the door opened instantly. She waved goodbye but as the door was about to close, Indra stopped it.

“You’re important to them.” Indra’s face became unreadable as she searched for the right words. “What I mean is…I am glad that they _chose_ to make you important.” She didn’t need to say anything else but the few words had a million meanings. She accepted Clarke in every facet of Lexa’s life. A tear formed in Clarke’s eye realizing that Indra probably imagined Lexa building a life and having a child with Costia. To accept Clarke in the role her daughter once had was slightly overwhelming.

“I’m lucky they chose me.” Clarke smiled. Indra let the door close and saluted her goodnight.  Anya woke up between the second and thirtieth floor. Clarke continued to carry her off to her bedroom but the girl stopped her.

“Can we wait for Lexa, please?” Clarke begrudgingly agreed and led them down to the couch. She set the girl down and they both sat next to each other. It wasn’t long before Anya was back to being curled onto Clarke’s lap. Not long after, Clarke succumbed to the activity of the day and fell asleep. Lexa found them on the couch, leaning into each other, paint smeared over their faces. She quickly got out her phone and snapped a photo. She tried poking the Sky princess first but the blonde didn’t move. She began to lift her, wincing at her still sore ribs. She began to lose her grip as the fabric slipped in her hands. The blue strips of cloth were in the way and she was sure a few steps would mean her death if she tried. Instead, she wrapped her hand around the dress and threw it over her shoulder. Looking down, she safely took a step with no interference. Several grunts later, she delivered Clarke to her bed. Before she was going to attempt to get her into something comfortable, she went back to the living room for the kid.

“Kiddo.” She poked her side. Anya blinked up at her, bleary eyed. She turned back over refusing to move. Lexa figured she would be doing two carries. She swiftly picked her up and walked back up the cold stairs. She pushed the door open with her foot and blindly searched for a light. There was no point and the stars on the ceiling offered some vision. With one hand, she peeled back the covers and laid the girl down. She took off the boots she was wearing and threw them in the corner of the room. The girl’s hair and face were a mess with scraggly braids and black paint everywhere but Lexa figured that could wait for morning. She pulled the covers over her and placed a kiss to the only clean part of her forehead.

“Good night, kiddo.” The girl snuggled into her pillow and turned over.

“Night, mom.” She responded groggily.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> don’t forget to check out the Clexakru Fluff off! Myself and some other amazing writers participated. Read, kudos, and enjoy the adorableness of clexa http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Clexakru_Fluff

a/n don’t forget to check out the Clexakru Fluff off! Myself and some other amazing writers participated. Read, kudos, and enjoy the adorableness of clexa <http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Clexakru_Fluff>

Also, this is a super short update for the one coming in the next day. I wanted something just light fluffy and not really moving to the plot.

 

_Previously_

_“Good night, kiddo.” The girl snuggled into her pillow and turned over._

_“Night, mom.” She responded groggily._

 

Lexa shakily closed the door and walked to her room in a trance. The word kept rolling over in her brain. She walked past the blonde snoring on her bed and into the bathroom. She turned the light on and almost jumped at her reflection. Even though she had already changed out of the costume, her face had remnants of paint and the corner of her mouth was turning purple from the brute’s fist. She ran her thumb over the wound, wincing a bit as she felt the area where her tooth broke through her lip. Staring at herself, the word continued to repeat in her head. _Mom_. It was the accidental admission of an exhausted child, she thought. Her reflection didn’t look that different but she knew there was something changing. She turned on the faucet and threw some water in her face. It didn’t cool her down though.

She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn’t hear the soft footsteps behind her. It wasn’t until arms circled her stomach and lips met her neck, that she realized she wasn’t the only one awake. “What are you thinking about?” Clarke released her and grabbed the blue towel off of the counter and dabbed it under the still running sink. She wiped at the marks on her face, red skin replacing black paint.

“Something Anya said.” She turned around, kissing the top of her head. “Don’t worry about it.” She walked into her closet and grabbed clothes for both of them. Clarke leaned against the marble counter, studying the brunette as she continued to scrub her face.

“Just tell me.”

“It’s nothing.” Lexa threw a pair of shorts and her old NYU shirt at Clarke.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing. You looked like a ghost when I walked in.”

“Clarke drop it.” She immediately regretted her tone. The blonde put the towel down aggressively and walked into the other room, ignoring the calls of her name. Lexa followed her, partially clothed and attempting to find the head hole of her shirt. In the time she was stuck in her shirt, Clarke had come directly into her space.

“We said no secrets. Not about anything.” Realizing how much the woman was struggling, Clarke took either side of the grey t-shirt and pulled it down, revealing a frustrated puff of brunette.

“I’m sorry…I just…this is different. It could change things.”

“What could she have possibly said?” She asked incredulously.

Lexa bit her already throbbing lip. They were about to cross a line and she wasn’t sure if they could do it together. “She called me mom.” It was barely a whisper. “…but she was asleep. She didn’t know what she was saying.” She added loudly. Clarke’s reaction wasn’t what she expected. The woman was beaming, her scrubbed cheeks filled with a different shade of pink from excitement.

“Lexa. This isn’t something bad.” She walked them over to the bed and sat down. Lexa instantly curled her legs under her body like a child.

“But I’m not her mom. I promised to find her mom and now it’s like I’m trying to repl- ” Clarke stopped her with a shake of her hand.

“I am trying my hardest to find them what if we can’t find her. A mom is a person who gives birth to you but it is also a person who loves you and cares for you. You’ve given that to her. You aren’t replacing her mother…you’re trying to give her a better life than she had in that foster home.” Clarke grabbed her hand. “That’s what a mother would do.”

 Lexa seemed to relax a bit. She breathed through the millions of thoughts rushing through her head. Her quick reprieve was broken as Clarke continued, “I have to ask you a question though.” Her breath caught. This was going to be it. This was the end. She looked up, her eyes giving permission to continue.

“If we can’t find them, would you adopt her?” If she was being honest, she had asked herself this question more than once over the past weeks. It was always lingering in the back of her mind. She never gave any weight to it until night and now Clarke wanted an answer she had but didn’t want to verbalize for fear that she couldn’t take it back. Clarke waited, seeing the sea of emotion paint over Lexa’s face.

“Yes.” The words felt good coming out so she repeated. “Yes, I would adopt her…and I know that could change things for us-” She started to verbalize her other concern but once again Clarke cut her off.

“It changes nothing.” Lexa looked at her in disbelief. “I said I was in this, I mean it. I want everything…if you’ll have me.” She added unsure. Lexa calmed her insecurity with her lips, reaching up and messily kissing her. It was brief as she pulled back wincing. “Ow…Ow.” 

Clarke laughed, leaning down and placing a ghost of a kiss on her wound. “Can we sleep before we have any other big revelations?” Lexa scooted back, pulling the covers back. Clarke first turned off the lights and then slid in, placing Lexa’s outstretched arm over her waist. Lexa nuzzled into her blonde hair, inhaling the coconut shampoo. Sleep hit her before she could guess the other lingering scents.

Saturday and Sunday flew by in a mess of preparation and work. At first there was an awkward air between everyone but as soon as Lexa realized the girl didn’t remember, she pretended it didn’t happen. For now. Deep discussion over the weekend led to a plan. They agreed to completely dedicate themselves to finding her parents for the next few months. After the election was over, they would discuss everything with Anya and let her know that there was a permanent home available if she wanted it. Until then, they agreed to continue the routines they became accustomed to. With a few new one added in such as the current one of getting ready for the first day of school.

Luckily, the school had a uniform policy so they didn’t have to spend six hours in a store finding the latest fashion. As Anya walked out of her room in the green and navy plaid jumper, Clarke was already snapping pictures. The skirt/shirt combo fell the require two inches below her knee, her socks were an inch above the standard issue white laced shoes and her pony tailed hair was affixed with a matching plaid bow. Lexa thought she belonged in a catalog.

“Are we done yet?” Anya huffed, annoyed.

“One more with the back pack.” Clarke threw the _Sky People_ bag towards her and Anya reluctantly put it on and gave a half-assed smile. She tossed it away as soon as Clarke was finished and walked over to the table, wanting to interact with the saner one of her roommates. Lexa walked over with a plate of smiley face pancakes and bacon. “Ignore her, kid.” She placed the plate down, stealing a piece of bacon as she did. “She has no sense of boundaries.”

“Neither do you.” Clarke defended, stealing the remaining bite out of Lexa’s hand and putting it in her mouth with a satisfying chomp.

“Can I fire her?”

“It is Monday.” Anya mumbled through bites of pancakes. “…but that means she’s still your girlfriend.” Over the weekend, they had also had the discussion of their relationship with the child. She obviously knew but they wanted to clarify and to make sure she understood the discretion they were using in public. They all sat down to the table and began eating. It was much earlier than usual so the sun hadn’t even crept into the skyline yet.

Lexa opened the paper and was confused as she flipped through each section. There were several holes in the paper. She looked through one of the larger windows in the entertainment section at Clarke. “What happened to the paper?”

“I took the liberty of removing a few things you might not like.” She said innocently, gulping down her coffee.

“Do they have to do with the K-I-D?” she spelled out exaggeratedly. Both Clarke and Anya looked at her with squinted eyes. “Joking…I totally know that ten year olds can spell.” She flipped the paper back up muttering a quiet- _jeez_.

Dishes in the sink, they made their way to the elevator for the thirty minute trek to school and the longer trek back to work. As they rode down, Lexa stuffed the brown bag in her hand into Anya’s back pack and put a cold water bottle into the side pocket. She put her finger in the hook and lifted lightly, trying to estimate the weight. “Is this too heavy?” She knew there were new notebooks, pens, and books in it so it wouldn’t always be this heavy but she was still concerned. “I can carry it if you want. Just for today.”

“It’s fine mo…Lexa.” She responded, rushing out of the elevator. Lexa caught it but tried not to react. She followed after, grabbing the door of the waiting car. Opening it wide, Anya jumped in followed by Clarke who eye talked with Lexa indicating that she heard it too.

They blasted music the whole time while Lexa attempted to organize papers on her laps. The first open debate was that Friday which meant she needed to have every angle of her position in order. One would think that she would have her history memorized but Cage had an ability to bring out skeletons he had long forgotten about. It would be her luck that he had a picture of her drinking in college and use it to show that she wasn’t responsible or some bullshit. Immersed in her papers, she didn’t realize they were already there. Anya nearly bolted out of the car with a quick bye thrown behind her. Clarke was quick though grabbing the hook of her back pack, pulling her back. “Not so fast.” Both women exited the Clarke and went over the same things they had told her all week.

“Second floor, classroom 203. Teacher’s name is Mrs. Cole. We bought everything on the list but if there is more just let us know and we will get it. Indra will pick you up at 3:30.” Clarke repositioned the bow in her hair.

Anya turned to Lexa, knowing she was going to say her peace too. “Lunch is in your bag. There is also a few dollars if they have snacks or milk you want to buy. No pop.” Lexa tried to remember anything else. “I put in two cosmo brownies because you can trade those for just about anything. Don’t get short sold though, it’s more valuable than fruit…go for gold like a nutter butter bar or chips.”

“Finished?” Both women nodded. Anya turned towards the school that looked a lot larger than she remembered a week ago. There were rows of kids talking outside, all excited to see each other again. She grabbed the straps of her bag tight ready to make her first steps. Three paces in she turned back and ran towards the still waiting women. She wrapped one arm around each waist and pulled them in. “Bye, love you.” She turned and sprinted to the front steps, taking them two at a time. Before she opened the door, she snuck one last glance back. They were waving to her and she twirled her fingers back.

A girl next to her snickered. The taller girl with jet black hair whispered something to her friend and they all looked over and laughed too. She was about to turn back and beg to go home but a hand came to her shoulder. A boy with orangish hair gave her a light push inside, while glaring at the girls. They seemed to respect him because they instantly stopped. “Don’t worry about them.” He said, not moving his hand off her shoulder. “I have two moms, too…I heard yours say you are with Cole, I am too.” He guided her up the stairs towards their classroom. He obviously was a returning student. When they got to the door he put his hand out in front of her. “I’m Aden…Aden Monroe. Well, sometimes Aden Harper depending on which mom I’m in trouble with. ” Anya took his hand and shook it awkwardly. “Anya.”

“Just Anya?” He smiled, his small frame still towering over her.

“Anya Woods.” She said, not wanting to use her real last name, especially since she wasn’t sure if that was her real last name.

“Nice to meet you. Want to sit next to me?” He led her over to the corner of the classroom that he had already put his bags at. She didn’t think this school was going to be as bad as she thought.

Clarke and Lexa made it back to the city in surprisingly good time considering the traffic. They knew they wouldn’t be able to drop her off every day and that they would have to find a local parent they could car pool with. When they got to the building they split to their respective offices, loads of paperwork and speeches to work on. At  a quarter after twelve, Clarke’s phone buzzing tore her out of her trance of typing. She flipped over the screen and was surprised at the contact that popped up. She quickly picked it up and put it to her phone. “Clarke Griffin.” She said in auto pilot realizing how dumb she sounded.

“I know, I named you that.” The voice responded.

“Hi Mom.” Clarke corrected. It was odd to get a phone call in the middle of the afternoon, especially from this person. They were monthly check ins and big holidays close. It wasn’t that they didn’t love each other but their schedules both dictated a certain kind of life. Emails were always exchanged with big news and texts of interesting reads came on occasion. The three thousand miles between them made it difficult to casually visit. Her mother was also a luddite who couldn’t even tell her what company she worked for.  “What’s up?”

“Well your step-father and I were at dinner last night and the bartender turned on one of those trashy news stations.” She rubbed her temple, wanting her mother to just get to the point. “Anyways, I happened a glance over and what do I see but my daughter splayed across the screen. I didn’t have time to turn up the volume but I pulled out my phone and began goggling and the internet was littered with all of these tidbits about you. Well, I turned to Marcus and said ‘We need to visit our kids because the New York Times knows more about Clarke than I do.’”

Clarke sat upright in her chair; her free hand clenched the desk knowing what words were surely coming next. “So, we decided to plan a trip to the big apple. We will be in Wednesday and expect dinner with you and your boss. Octavia and Bellamy have already been informed and will be there too.”

“Mom…I have the election..and regular work.” She gave another dozen excuses but she knew it was falling on deaf ears.

“See you in a few days.” Abby signed off, without considering anything of what Clarke said. The girl immediately pressed her third speed dial. She grabbed the nearest pen and began clicking it incessantly. The other line finally picked up.

“Hel-.”

“What is this about the parents coming in town?” Clarke didn’t let him finish.

“I see they told you last. This is your fault, really.”

“Bellamy.” She warned. “I can’t have my mom and your father lurking in my life right now. We have the debate on Friday. Do you understand how important that is?”

“What are you really worried about stepster?” he playfully used the nickname he had given her when their parents first got married. They all agreed that step-sister and brother sounded evil so they went with stepster. “Your work or a particular brunette you seem to be getting awfully cozy with?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“So you know nothing about all of these photos from a movie premiere Friday where you are basically attached at the hip and are quoted calling her residence ‘ours’ . You know nothing about that?” The silence on the other end made him nervous he had pushed too far.

“It’s new.” She whispered, not sure if he could hear it at all. “It’s new and it’s really good and my mother will ruin it. Abby versus Lexa the boss is a school ground fight compared to Abby versus Lexa the girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” He interrupted.

“Yes, girlfriend…as in relationship. Partners. People who eat food together alone and talk about things.” Her voice gained in frustration.

Bellamy could tell she wasn’t calming down. He tried to reassure her saying, “Clarke. It’s going to be fine. Raven, Lincoln, and Octavia will be there too.” This didn’t help though. Realization dawned on her that all of the closest people in her life were going to meet Lexa for the first time at once.

“Oh my God, I’m not going to be able to prepare her for that. She doesn’t really do big groups of people. And you guys are loud and obnoxious and will probably make her leave me for the cute secretary on the second floor.” She spun her chair around and leaned over, practicing the breathing techniques she used in grad school.

“There’s a cute secretary on the second floor?” He tried to lighten the mood but it backfired instantly.

“No, but what if there is? What if we get one and then she meets all of you and realizes the cute secretary is less complicated? Maybe she has a really good sense of humor or plays an instrument. And maybe Anya will like her better too…and the dog…the dog probably will love her guitar playing.” Clarke started to spin out of control a little bit more. “I bet she does Pilates too or yoga…and she actually likes soccer so she doesn’t have to pretend to be interested…oh god I bet she likes pistachio ice cream too.” She couldn’t even hear Bellamy calling her name over and over again. He finally yelled as loud as he could and she snapped out of her vision of the cozy three bedroom in Schenectady that the secretary and Lexa had just bought.

“Breathe.” Clarke was still tucked between her legs but she actually listened to him and took a breath. “You need to calm down. We aren’t going to scare your girlfriend away. It will be nice to meet someone who makes you so crazy.”

“Promise…pinky promise?” So far, all of Anya’s pinky promises kept so she figured it wouldn’t hurt.

“Sure princess, pinky promise. Can I get back to work now?” She hung up the phone and fixed her slightly disheveled hair. The clock on her desk read fifteen till, which was around when they would go to lunch anyway so she made her way down the hallway towards Lexa’s office. The light knock opened the door and she walked in to the woman pacing back and forth. She stopped when she saw Clarke walk in but continued after a small nod.

“What is happening right now?” She laughed to herself that had Lexa walked in to her office minutes before she might have asked the same question.

“I should have done ham and cheese. Peanut butter and jelly isn’t a crowd pleaser anymore. What if she doesn’t like it and can’t trade?” Lexa continued to move her arms around animatedly as she mused aloud. “I left the crust too. Do kids eat crust now a days?” She turned to Clarke for an answer.

“No?” She said unsure. This didn’t help.

“Oh God, I ruined her reputation in a day because of crust.” The cuteness of the pacing was now worrying.

“Lexa, what the hell are you going on about?”

Long leg stopped in their tracks and moved to the edge of the desk, resting on the corner. She held her hands in front of her face emphasizing each point she was about to make. “On the first day of school your entire reputation can be made or broken based on what you bring to lunch. Are your parents cool and give you fruit by the foot and lunchables or are they strict and you have five carrot sticks and quinoa. I’m telling you, a kid’s entire year comes down to this first lunch…and I ruined it.” She placed the her hands down defeated.

Clarke wanted to hug her. Or kiss her. She wanted to do something so Lexa knew everything she was saying was the cutest thing she had ever seen. All she could ever want from a partner is that they love her and whatever potential children they have. Lexa had more love in her than any person Clarke had ever seen. It oozed out of every pore of her body and was infused in every thought she had. She didn’t just do things for other people. There was always so much attention to the details because she cared so much. The most endearing part of all of it was that the woman had no clue how amazing she was.

“Her lunch was perfect.” Clarke walked over, placing either hand on her shoulders and lacing them to where her hands folded together behind brunette curls. “I also snuck an extra thing of chips into her bag just in case she didn’t like the one you gave her.” Lexa raised her head up, smiling.

“You’re perfect.” She reached out and grabbed Clarke’s hips, pulling them closer together. “What would I do without you?”

“Marry the cute secretary on the second floor…” Clarke said out of invisible jealousy.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She leaned down and kissed her, claiming her from any real or nonexistent women that roamed the building. As they broke, she whispered, “Mine.” Lexa still didn’t understand was happening but she let it be, comfortable to be close together, resting her head on Clarke.

“I have something else to tell you…”

“Hmmmm?” Lexa responded lazily enjoying lying on Clarke’s chest.  “My mom is coming in town on Wednesday and wants to do dinner with my step dad and his two kids.” She said it so fast it was a jumble of words that took several seconds for Lexa to process. Once she did, she let her body go through the freak out phase on to the acceptance phase before responding. Her head popped up, staring up into blue eyes.

“Okay.” She said a little too calmly.

“Okay?” Clarke eyed her suspiciously.

“I’d love to meet them all…and you know Anya is going to want to come too.”

“You’re serious. No fight at all?” Lexa nuzzled the arm that was to her right because she didn’t want to have to let go of Clarke’s waist.

“Of course, I’m serious. It is terrifying and I will probably need to drink a little before but if you want me to meet them I would love that. I said I wanted to know everything about you and that includes where you came from. “

“You’re annoyingly perfect.” Clarke leaned in, ready to kiss her again.

“And you’re perfectly annoying.” She quickly pulled back and glared, removing her hands from the back of Lexa’s neck.  “I ruined the moment, didn’t I?” Clarke smiled sickly sweet as she ran her hands down Lexa’s arms until they were over top of her own waist. She leaned in again and whispered, “I’m going to let my mother tear you a part.” She popped the cold hands off her waist and headed towards the door. “Coming to lunch, babe?” She threw behind her.

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

A/N Let the show down begin…

 

Clarke woke up cold and with the lack of an arm around her. She had gotten used to sleep overs with Lexa that her body became very aware when she was alone. She reached her hand behind her to see if the woman had just turned over but all she touched was a pillow and empty sheets. Forced to actually open her eyes, she sat up and looked around. No lights were on and nothing seemed to have been moved. The haziness of sleep started to fade and she regained the use of all of her senses. Her ears picked up movement in the direction of the bathroom. She slid out of bed to investigate, shuttering as her feet touched cold wood. Placing her fingers on the door, she slowly pushed it in revealing her missing bed mate pushing a box under one of the dressers in her walk in closet.

“What are you doing?” Clarke leaned on the door clad only in a tshirt, a yawn escaping her mouth. Lexa was obviously surprised, quickly pushing the box in its position and jumping up.

“You’re not supposed to be up yet.” She frantically began looking around, seemingly making sure everything was in place.

“The bed was cold.” Clarke whined. She took a few moments to take in the familiar closet that looked somehow different. Everything was moved around and now there was a large space on the left side. “And I’ll ask again, what are you doing?”

Lexa took her hand and pulled her in all the way into the closet. She stood her in front of the now empty space and reached over to pull out one of the drawers on the dresser that was next to the clothes rack. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“With spring cleaning?” Clarke didn’t understand what was happening. “I know I keep telling you to clean the closet out but you could have done it at a time that wasn’t before dawn.” She began walking towards the door again, wanting to crawl back into bed for the few hours they had left of sleep.

“I didn’t clean.” Lexa caught her hand, pulling her pack. “This is for you…The drawer…. the rack.” She made a point by running her hand over the empty bar. “So you can stop stealing my clothes.” Clarke’s non response made Lexa become suddenly self-conscious of her offer. Clarke moved her hand in the same motion across the bar, walking towards Lexa until her hand covered the brunettes and she stood to face her.

“For me?” A still sleepy smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

Clarke walked past Lexa inspecting the drawer that was now hers. “You spend most nights here anyways and that sleepover bag is getting ridiculous.” She ran her fingers over the sides like she hadn’t opened it a dozen times over the past weeks. Now it was different, almost sacred. It was hers.

 “Do you like it?” Lexa broke into her moment. Clarke turned and grabbed her neck harder than she realized. Lexa winced a little but the pain was soon forgotten as desperate lips answered her question with a resounding _yes_. She wrapped her hands around Clarke’s waist and moved past her night shirt to let her fingers play on cold, soft skin. Clarke responded instantly, grasping harder at curly hair. She bit at Lexa’s bottom lip as she turned them and pushed her roughly up against the newly claimed dresser. Lexa moaned pulling harder at her skin. Clarke moved her hands down to Lexa’s button up that she forgot to take off the night before. She refused to release the lip from her teeth until every button was undone. The last button proved more difficult and she decided to just pull hard releasing the shirt with a satisfying _pop_. She slipped it down toned shoulders and tossed it aside.

She decided to stop torturing Lexa’s lip and move to her throat. Clarke could feel Lexa’s pulse racing under her mouth. Lexa settled her hands behind her, one holding onto the dresser while the other reached above her head onto the bar of the rack. She thanked some higher power she was holding onto something as Clarke ran her nails up her side. Her head rolled back while Clarke found a particularly sensitive spot on her clavicle and bit down.

“Clarke…Fuc…” Her voice was breathy and barely there. Clarke got the message and moved back up Lexa’s neck, nipping at the juncture under her ear.

“Yes?” She whispered, her fingers still playing on Lexa’s hips. Her eyes rolled back farther as Clarke’s left hand inched higher up her stomach. Before she could respond there was a loud knock at the bedroom door.

Clarke pulled her head back and waited hoping the noise was just a dream. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Another louder knock echoed through the tiles of the bathroom into the closet. “Shit.” She began laughing, burying her head into Lexa’s shoulder.

“Language.” Lexa couldn’t help but laugh.  “One second.” She called out, hoping the kid could hear her.

Clarke quickly removed herself from Lexa’s body and grabbed the now ruined button up. “You didn’t seem so against curse words a few seconds ago.” Her comment was met with a torn button up to the back of the head. She frantically moved over to the drawers to find a t-shirt, while Lexa pulled her hair back in some semblance of a pony tail.

“Where is everything?!” She couldn’t find even an old soccer tee.

“I moved it all for you!” Lexa shouted back, moving to a previously unused drawer and grabbing the first thing that looked like a shirt.  

“Lexa?” The small voice was coming from her bedroom. She looked at herself quickly in the full length mirror and deemed herself mildly presentable. Clarke started to push her out the door quickly so the kid didn’t find her partially dressed too. Lexa leaned back quickly and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Soon.” She promised. Clarke smiled devilishly and shooed her out.

Lexa opened the bathroom door and saw the tiny blonde looking around nervously. “Everything okay kiddo?” She leaned against the door as casually as possible trying to appear normal.

“I heard a loud bang and I thought something happened.” Lexa knew the noise must have been her back against a drawer. “I’m sorry if I woke you up, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m okay. Everything is fine.”

The girl waddled on her heels like something else wasn’t right. “I thought Clarke was here…isn’t that her phone.” Lexa went through a few different stories she could spin before a voice broke in.

“I am!” Clarke appeared behind Lexa, now fully clothed with pants. “One of the shelves broke in the closet so were fixing it…that was the noise.” Lexa looked back at her in awe. She slyly moved her fist behind her and Clarke bumped it with her own without breaking eye contact with Anya. “Sorry to wake you up squish.”

Anya eyed them suspiciously. “No problem.”  She walked towards the door and began to leave but turned back for a moment. “By the way Lexa, your shirt is inside out…” She closed the door behind her but not before saying, “…and backwards.” Lexa looked down to see that the tag of her shirt was in front of her face. She put a hand to her head completely embarrassed.

“We just got cock blocked by a ten year old and I look ridiculous.” Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa’s waist from behind and pecked her on the cheek.

“Soon.” She affirmed. She lifted Lexa’s shirt over her head and put it back on the right way. “Let’s go to bed, we have a long day ahead of us.” Lexa agreed plopping down on top of the bed.

“To be clear we are not telling your mother, correct?” Clarke had given a very vague reason as to why lowly edging her mother into their relationship would be the best plan.

“Yes we don’t need one more person in this. I just want you to myself for a little bit.”

“What are you talking about? We are going to be sixty before we have another morning alone.” She mused as she stared at the ceiling van above her. Each rotation was lulling her farther and farther back to sleep.

Clarke rolled into her, laying her head on her chest. “That would require you to survive tonight.”

__

__

By five o clock, Lexa had gone through at least a hundred different ways Abby was going to try and test her. It was like she was prepping for an interview. She already had the “about me” part down. For good measure, she also made sure she was able to list her strengths and weaknesses and also an example of how she overcame adversity.

Clarke had already left to pick them up from the airport so she was alone to worry. Grabbing a pen from her desk she took a piece of printer paper and scrawled words down on it. So far, this had been the most useful technique she ever got from college. She leaned back in her chair like she always did, propping her feet up on her desk. She turned her head to the ceiling and held the paper out in front of her face. _The Mother_ it read. She said the name out loud a few times and crumpled the paper up. She closed her eyes and threw it behind her, disappointed when she heard the familiar sound of paper on carpet instead of paper on metal. Ignoring it she kept her eyes on the ceiling until she eventually just closed them, running through the scenarios again.

She held the bridge of her nose willing the stress headache away. A knock at the door distracted her from her mantra of “it’s going to be okay.” She didn’t bother opening her eyes and yelled, “Come in.” The only people who would knock on her door were Clarke, Titus, Indra, and Gustus. No one else would ever bother her without consulting Clarke first. The door clicked open and she tried to listen for clues on the intruder. Even with carpet, she could hear the faint sound of heels, ruling out Indra and the guys.

“Ahem.” The intruder cleared their throat, causing one of Lexa’s eyes to pop open. She didn’t recognize the voice at all. She peered over confused at the tall, older blonde in a blue dress.

“Can I help you?” Lexa didn’t move from her position.

“I am Abby Griffin, you are expecting me.” Lexa flung her feet off the desk with a little too much force causing the entire chair to topple over. The black chair started to fall left and Lexa had nothing to grab on to but the dossier on her desk. She crashed to the ground, rolling out of the chair onto her knees. The papers in her hand flew into the air and landed around her. Without missing a beat she crawled over on her knees to her metal desk. She pulled herself up and straightened her shirt and brushed the hair that had fallen out behind her ear.

She reached out her hand across the desk to the clearly amused woman. “Lexa Woods, nice to meet you.” She swallowed hard as the intense woman scanned over her until she was satisfied enough to accept the out reached hand. Lexa didn’t realize she was engaging in a staring contest until a voice broke in behind them.

“Mom!” Lexa let go and looked around to Clarke running into her office. “I told you to go to the office at the end of the right not left. Lexa...” She turned to the still ashen woman. “I’m sorry for this intrusion.”

“Lexa?” Her mother questioned. “You always say Miss Woods I didn’t realize you were on a first name basis.” Clarke took a deep breath knowing her mother was just testing her. She didn’t even have time for a witty retort as she realized the state of Lexa’s office.

“What happened in here?” Lexa looked behind her and quickly reached behind her and set the chair up straight again and pushed it towards her desk. She gathered the papers and threw them into a pile into the corner as well.

“Nothing. I just fell out of the chair.” Clarke instantly looked concerned but covered it quickly before her mother looked back at her.

“I’m sorry Miss Woods for interrupting your work. I just wanted to meet my daughter’s employer I’ve heard so much about.” Abby took a few steps into the office and bent down by the trash can at the crumpled paper. Lexa held her breath as the woman deposited it in the can rather than reading it.

“No problem Dr. Griffin. Our reservation isn’t until 6:30 but if you would like I could give you a tour of the facilities until then.” She looked over at Clarke who was giving the cut throat motion but it was already too late.

“That is such a sweet offer but I have to decline.” Clarke let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “However, my husband would love it. He is all about new age technology. It would actually give Clarke and I some time to catch up.”

“Sur..Sure.” Lexa stuttered out. Abby walked out to go get Marcus. Clarke quickly closed the door. Before she heard the click, Lexa was mid panic attack. “I’m not going to survive. I can’t do it. I thought I could do it but I can’t. Have you seen your mother? Her eyes can see into my soul.” Lexa collapsed into her chair, hitting the arm rest for betraying her earlier. “I wanted to tell her everything. Does she always have that affect?”

“Unfortunately. You should have been there when I was in high school. I couldn’t even think about a boy without her knowing.” Clarke walked around the desk and began gently massaging her shoulders.

“Maybe it won’t work for girls then.”

“Sorry, babe. She knew about them too.” Lexa slouched farther into her chair.

“Maybe it’s a good thing I’m starting with Marcus. It’ll be like a stepping stone.”  

Clarke leaned over and kissed the top of still ruffled brown hair. “You’ll be fine. He’s just as dorky as you.”

“I’m not dorky.” Clarke didn’t even respond, she walked out to find her step-father. Lexa used the five minute reprieve to talk herself up a little more.

Marcus was much easier to meet. He smiled at her and his hand shake didn’t feel like ice. Through the tour he was also genuinely interested. It made her relax at least a little bit. On one of the assembly floors she took him across the walkway where they could look at all the tech being processed together. They both leaned over the railings looking over.

“Everything you make is in America?” That was the most impressive thing he had learned on the tour.

“It costs a lot more and at the end of the day we break just above even but these workers are my people. I would never threaten their livelihood to save money. We can always find another way.” Marcus stood up and turned around, leaning his back to the railing now. He crossed his arms and looked down at Lexa who was intently watching her dreams in action.

“I’m excited to meet Anya.” Lexa looked up surprised he knew about. “Unlike my wife, I watch the news and read tabloids. I also have two kids who keep me up to date.” Lexa laughed a little to herself.

“She’s really great. She is going to be at dinner tonight.” Lexa stood up tall, leaning one hand on the bar.

“You guys seem to make a really happy family.” Kane gave her his biggest smile. “All three of you.” He finished.

Her elbow locked out causing her to stumble to the side a little. She regained her composure quickly and cocked her head to the side. “I’m sorry?”

“You, Anya, and Clarke.” Lexa’s mouth went dry and she couldn’t imagine what her face looked like.

She blurted out the first question that came to her mind. “Does Abby know?”

“I doubt it. She is brilliant but never sees what is right in front of her.” He walked towards her. He patted her shoulder and put his arm over her leading them back towards the elevator. “When she knows, you’ll know.” He laughed.

When they reached the top floor again, the metal opened to a short blonde among taller blondes and a large man. Lexa was relived to finally see an ally. Anya’s face lit up as she saw Lexa. Gustus also seemed happy to see his daughter. They walked towards them and Lexa did the introduction of Marcus to her father and Anya. Gustus was always the most intimidating person in the room but somehow the foot shorter Abby was winning this round.

“Gustus would you like to come to dinner with us?” Marcus offered.

“Chit yu vout in?” _What do you think?_ He directed his question at Lexa.

“Yu sad kiln.” _Your choice._

“je klir soulou?” _Is it safe alone?_ He looked over at Abby and gave a fake smile. Lexa concealed her own smile and nodded in response.

“Very well…” He returned to English. “I will see you all another time. I have matters to attend to.” He waved goodbye and grasped both Lexa and Anya’s shoulders. “Ste yuj.” _Be strong._

Anya looked back at Abby who seemed to still be glaring at all three of them. She held the top of his hand and whispered. “Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim.” _May we meet again_. He let out a hearty laugh and made his way to the elevator.

“I don’t recognize that language.” Marcus stated.

“It’s a distinct dialect of Croatia.” Anya pipped in. “I can teach you some at dinner.”

“Come on or we will be late.” Abby began walking ahead of all of them toward where Gustus was now leaving. Clarke and Marcus followed after but Lexa and Anya hung back a few steps. Anya waited till the woman was out of ear shot before commenting, “She scares me.”

“Me too.” Lexa reached down her hand and Anya took it. “Do you have the package?”

Anya patted her back pack. “All set.” The wardrobe wasn’t the only surprise Lexa had planned for the evening.

“Are you sure tonight is the right time? It won’t be too much?” she was seeking advice from a ten year old, but the kid was well beyond her years.

“Are you kidding? Clarke will love it and all the people she cares about will all be there to share the good news!”

“You’re right.” Lexa agreed. “Kid, if we survive this I’m buying a gallon of pistachio ice cream.”

Anya looked at the woman who was obsessively tapping her foot by the elevator door. “That might not be enough.” When they got into ear shot, they both turned back into all smiles.

The restaurant was at the hotel they had been at for the movie premiere the week before. Lexa was happy about that because she at least knew where the bar was if it came down to it. She wondered if the bartender Bri would sneak her a shot on a “bathroom break.” As they walked across the large staircase, a group of four people seemed to recognize Clarke and she ran over to them. Lexa took the few extra steps to evaluate these people. Two men, two women, beautiful and impeccably dressed. She was already intimidated. The bald titan of a man had his waist around the shorter of the two brunettes. She knew that would make them Octavia and Lincoln. The tall, shaggy haired boy also had his arm around the shoulder of a beautiful bronze goddess, making them Bellamy and Raven. The five of them together looked like a magazine cover. Lexa self-consciously looked down at her white blouse tucked into her three quarters length pants. She was happy she decided on the red heels because her bland outfit was nothing like the burst of colors that the two brunettes were wearing.

When she finally reached them, Anya in tow, her mind had already decided they were in the approved category. Clarke walked beside her and resisted wrapping her arm around Lexa’s free one, settling instead to awkwardly place a hand on her shoulder. “Guys, this is my boss, Lexa Woods.” Lexa extended her hand and shook each of their hands as they gave the name she already knew. When she got to Octavia, the girl muttered, “Where’s your broom?”

“Excuse me?” Lexa wasn’t sure she heard her correctly.

“I just thought the Wicked Witch of the West Side would always have her broom handy.” Bellamy elbowed her before Clarke got a hold of her. Lexa looked over at Clarke not sure if she should be offended or not.

“It’s a joke.” Clarke said through clenched teeth. “Right, O?” Before she could respond, Bellamy and Raven stepped in front of her, plastering smiles on their face.

“This must be Anya, who we’ve heard so much about?” Anya held out her hand just as Lexa did and nodded with each shake.

“Maybe one day you’ll call me Uncle Bell.” The comment was meant to be funny but all three girls across from him tensed.

“Who’s calling you uncle Bell?” Abby’s impeccable timing had struck again. Lexa wasn’t sure if her face was red or white but it was definitely something and one more incident like this it would probably become a permanent fixture.

Clarke took a step away from Lexa, creating clear space. “He was just saying when O and Lincoln finally have kids he will be an uncle.” The group nodded in agreeance with the lie.

“One can only hope. I’m not getting any younger and so far none of you have children.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Octavia laughed, still hidden behind Bellamy. He elbowed her again, rolling his eyes at his sister’s death wish. It was actually a good thing he was standing in front of her or Clarke would have taken the extra three steps and choked the girl out.

“I always thought Clarke would be the first to bite the bullet.” Abby’s comment didn’t help anything. Everyone stood about, trying to not make eye contact with anyone else. Even Anya didn’t know of anything that could break this ice.

Marcus finally made his way over from the hostess and noticed the tenseness. He looked at Clarke first and saw her glaring at the hiding Octavia. _That was fast_ , he thought. “We haven’t been together for five seconds and I see you guys have already started a storm. Can I at least get a ‘hi dad’ first?” Octavia popped out from behind the shaggy wall and wrapped herself around his neck.

“Hi daddy.” He spun her around and set her down away from the group. He walked over to Bellamy and gave him a manly, single back pat hug. He continued to make the rounds hugging Raven and awkwardly shaking Lincoln’s hand. “So what are you guys talking about?”

“Clarke’s children.”

“O.” Four voices yelled at her.

“Kane party of nine.” The hostess yelled.

“Oh, thank God.” Clarke breathed out. “Us…that is us. We are coming.” She pushed Lexa and Anya toward the entrance away from her horror show of a family. Octavia linked her arm around Kane’s like she was a child again and dragged him and Abby along. The three remaining victims were all thinking the same thing-they would pay anyone to get them out of this. 

“So who is going to kill whom?” Lincoln asked, refusing to move.

Raven reached into her purse and pulled out a twenty. “My money is on Clarke threatening Octavia’s life at least three times.”

Bellamy matched her and grabbed the bill out of his wallet. “No way, Abby is going to break Lexa before we get our salads.”

“Why am I marrying into this family again?” Lincoln put his hand out and they placed the money into it.

Raven took both guys in her arms and led them to the rest of the brood. “I ask myself that question every day.” She laughed.

The round table was perfectly set up with a cream cloth and elegant napkins folded on every plate. The six silverware places reminded Anya of the donor they had gone to weeks before. They each took a seat, careful to place Octavia and Clarke as far away from each other as possible. Anya sat between Clarke and Lexa while Abby took residence across from her daughter. Bellamy stole the spot next to Lexa away from Raven, so he wouldn’t miss a single thing. They all placed their napkins on their laps and began perusing the menu. Lexa continued to go over the script in her mind for when Abby decided to attack.

She got a reprieve as Abby started asking Bellamy and Octavia about their lives. Each filled her in appropriately talking about work promotions, the upcoming wedding, and the bustle of the city. Clarke waited patiently for the interrogation that was sure to come. Anya and Lexa sat quietly as the family got reacquainted. Soon after, the waiter brought salads for the table and took the much needed drink orders. Everyone grabbed their forks to begin eating but Lexa took her spoon. She elbowed Anya in the side and tried to take a mouthful in, failing miserably. The rest of the table continued talking animatedly while Anya took her spoon and put it on the tip of her nose. Lexa followed suit and leaned her head back a bit, placing the cold metal as far up on her face as she could. She had to cross her eyes to see that the girl was still able to hold on to hers. Reaching out blindly, she was able to hit the silver end, causing it to fall to the floor.

“Hey that’s cheating.” Anya snorted, reaching down for the fallen utensil.

“Prove it.” They giggled together unaware that the whole table was now staring at them until Clarke cleared her throat loudly. Lexa smiled sheepishly as she met Abby’s eyes, the spoon still settled square on her face. She quickly put it in her lap and adjusted herself in her seat as if that would make her less guilty.

“Busted.” Anya whispered as she got back into her seat.  

“Sorry, you were saying.” Lexa took the spoon in her hand and poked Anya in the side away from anyone’s eyes. The girl squirmed and let out a squeal. She glared at Lexa and scooted her chair closer to Clarke’s.

“My mother was just about to question all of my decisions.” Clarke took the wine glass in front of her and let the cold liquid burn the back of her throat. She wasn’t sure if it was her second or third glass but she was definitely feeling the effects.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Abby said innocently.

“Come on you’ve been itching to have a crack at me since you landed.”

They competed in a stare off that even made the wandering waiter uncomfortable. “I’m just concerned about your life.” Abby finally broke.

“Why? I have a great job and I’m happy.”

“There’s more to life than work.”

“Says the woman who worked eighty hour weeks when I was a kid.” The other members at the table adjusted uncomfortably in their chairs, slowly reaching for their drinks as to not make any sudden movements.

“I’m just saying, you’re edging on thirty and yes, you have a great career but what else? Who do you take that home to?”

Clarke silently wished she had had this conversation at her office because she knew it was only going to end in blood. “It’s the twenty first century, why do I have to be defined by who I take my work home to? Why can’t I just be proud of it?”

“You know that’s not what I’m saying. I just think if you didn’t work so much you would find more fulfillment in life.” She shifted herself forward, elbows resting on the table. “I just don’t want you to wake up years from now and regret not taking advantage of your youth. Can’t Lexa give you some time off?”

Lexa had her head low for the conversation, afraid direct eye contact would melt her, but at the call of her name she perked up. “I mean…” She began but was cut off by Clarke.

“Leave her out of this...I can make these choices for myself. I don’t need to be _given_ time off.” Lexa watched Clarke’s knuckles become white as they curled around the edge of the cushioned chair. She was going to change the topic to the surprise but Abby was already at it again.

“I just think that if you took some personal time you could find yourself outside of your job.”

This was Clarke’s breaking point. “I have a personal life!” Several patrons turned toward their table, judgmental eyes peering over half drank wine glasses. “I promise you.” She said quieter. “I am involved and I am happy.” Clarke’s body betrayed her as she looked over at Lexa and smiled. Before she could take back the loving glance, Abby came to the conclusion everyone else knew about. Clarke said a mental _shit_ as she saw her mother’s disposition change.

The woman sat back in her chair and folded her arm, her face becoming tense. Moving her attention from Clarke over a few seats she let out a coarse, “So, Lexa…” The brunette’s blood turned to ice. “…how long have you been sleeping with my daughter?”

“Mom!”

“Abby!” Clarke and Marcus’s voices carried through the entire restaurant.

Lexa didn’t break the intense eye contact but her face was full of confusion. “Ma’am, it’s not…” Clarke didn’t let her finish, standing up and throwing her napkin on the table.

“No, you don’t have to say anything.” She walked around the table and stood in front of her mother. “You and I need to have a conversation.” Abby reluctantly got up and followed Clarke out, weaving through tables of suddenly interested diners.

Lexa watched as blonde disappeared out the front door. “Should I go after them?”

“No!” The five voices around her warned. She looked down at Anya for some kind of support and the girl simply patted her shoulder and shrugged.

Clarke dragged her mother past the long stair well into an empty corridor. She looked down the red carpeted hallways to make sure no one was around before laying it all out. “That was totally uncalled for. This is exactly why I didn’t tell you.”

“How long have you two been sleeping around?” Abby asked, completely ignoring Clarke’s anger.

“We aren’t _sleeping around_ ” She put in air quotes. “We haven’t even had sex…so you can go ahead and stop with that.”

“She’s your boss.” 

“Our relationship has never been that simple.” Clarke retorted, walking back a few steps, leaning against the wall.

“That’s what you said about Finn too.” Abby knew she had hit a cord when Clarke’s head shot up and her eyes went from the deep blue to an impenetrable black.

“Lexa is not Finn.” She punctuated each word.

“Really? Because this looks a whole lot like history repeating itself…” She walked closer. “…an intimate relationship with your boss leads to them taking advantage of you and then ruining your career and your reputation. We’ve been here before Clarke.”

The blonde shook her head hard enough for tendrils of hair to pop loose. “Lexa would never do that.” She sneered. “She has never forced me into anything. I make my own decisions.”

“She might not even mean to but it will happen.” Abby put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, trying to show that her concerns were valid and from a place of love. “You just said how happy you are with your career but what will happen if this lasts? You will always be her second. The assistant of the boss…The wife of a mayor.” Clarke’s eyes started to water. “And what if you move higher in this company…will it be because of your work or your relationship?”

“You don’t think I’ve thought of that? It took years for me to ever act on something that I knew from the first day because I couldn’t deal with a Finn all over again. He gave me special treatment to sleep with me, Lexa isn’t like that.” She shrugged her mother’s hand off, angry at any implications against her brunette.

“He gave you those promotions so you knew you owed him. He wanted you as a possession and you couldn’t get away. I refuse to let that happen again.” Her voice broke, as the memories of the years flooded back into her mind. “We almost lost you after that and if you want to call me a bitch that’s fine but I’m telling you this as your mother not your friend. Lexa is complicated. When you blend professional and personal things always get out of hand…not to mention she has Anya. Do you know what you’re getting involved with?”

Clarke’s shoulder rested on the cold wall, her head pressed to it as well as she willed all of the doubts to leave her mind. Abby gave her time to process what she was saying. “I trust her with my life, mom. I trust her with my heart…and my well being…and my happiness. I trust her more than I trust myself because she has never taken anything from me I didn’t offer freely.” She turned her head around to face the familiar blue eyes. “Will you please give her a chance?” It was a plea.

Abby could tell how deep Clarke was in. She didn’t know Lexa well enough to understand their bond but she knew her daughter. Her words definitely registered with Clarke and she hoped that would be enough to protect her. “Fine. I’m not as trusting as you but I will give her a chance.” She finally conceded.

“I know you’re not happy but I promise that I will take what you said into consideration. I love you.” She walked over and hugged her around the waist, laying her head on the familiar chest. Abby placed a hand on top of blonde hair and pulled her in closer, kissing the top of her head.

“I love you too, princess.”

They walked back to the table, both fixing their mascara on the way. Clarke leaned over Anya and whispered something in her ear. The girl moved over and left the seat open next to Lexa. Clarke sat down and gave Lexa’s thigh a reassuring squeeze. She didn’t look to her at all and instead focused on the other ten eyes staring at her. “Guys, I think we need to start this dinner over.” Her hand moved up from under the table and settled on top of the one Lexa still had clinched on to a utensil. “Thank you all for coming. I’m really excited to introduce you to my girlfriend Lexa.” She used her other hand to gesture the obvious. “And this is her foster daughter, Anya who is the smartest and most amazing kid I’ve ever met.” She grabbed her wine glass and held it up as a cheers, but no one followed suit. She shrugged and drank the remainder.

Nobody really knew how to respond. Lincoln finally broke the silence. “Seriously?” He exaggerated. “I had no idea.” Everyone laughed, even Abby at his faux disbelief. Clarke looked over to Lexa and smiled with her whole body. She picked up the hand she was holding on to and kissed the back of it.

Lexa genuinely smiled for the first time that whole evening. She didn’t want to wait any longer. “Since, we all seem to be on the same page do you think we have time for a quick surprise before the food comes?”

“Surprise?” Clarke looked worried. “I thought we were done with those this morning.” She whispered.

Anya reached into her back pack and pulled out a small wrapped blue package. It was about as long as a piece of paper and had a beautiful gold ribbon on it. “What it this?” Clarke questioned, unsure of the occasion.

“I knew we would be here with the most important people to you, so I thought it would be apropos to give this to you…just open it.” Lexa had been holding on to it for too long to wait any longer.

Clarke slowly peeled the piece of ribbon off and took to the end to unfasten the tape. Whoever wrapped it had used more tape than all the elves combined. She finally was able to pull out the white box hidden beneath. She plopped off the lid and set it on the table, everyone looking expectedly at her. Inside was a small door plaque. Clarke lifted it out of the box, reading the inscription multiple times. The emotion of the conversation with Abby mixed with alcohol flooded her system.

“What does it say?” Octavia asked impatiently.

Clarke didn’t respond. She looked up at Lexa, wide eyed and concerned. “What is this?” Her words were barely audible.

“You tell us.” Octavia added again.

“Shut up O!” Clarke shot back, returning her attention to Lexa who was slowly realizing something was wrong. “What is this?” She repeated.

“It was a surprise for you.” Lexa responded, brows furrowing at the confusion.

Octavia wasn’t the only one getting impatient. “Clarke, what does it say?” Abby interrupted. That was the last voice Clarke wanted to hear. She was so stupid to think things would be different.

“It says ‘Clarke Griffin, CEO’.” Five of the six reactions were positive. Between the light excited curse words, exasperated gasps, and congratulations, one would think this was a positive thing. But the one person that remained silent somehow spoke the loudest. Abby’s eyes screamed ‘I warned you’ but Clarke couldn’t look for long. She shifted to green eyes that looked sincere but her vision had betrayed her before.

“If I become mayor…or not, my position will be yours.” Clarke tried to keep the room from collapsing but the chandeliers above her seemed to be spinning into eternity. After several seconds, she began to not be able to see anything. She knew a panic attack was coming and she just needed to be somewhere else.

She put the plaque on the table and scooted out quickly, racing to the exit before anyone could say a word. Lexa was the first after her, letting her napkin fall aimlessly to the floor as she ran behind the fleeting locks of yellow. She caught up to her and barely was able to grab onto her shoulder.

“Clarke, what is wrong?” She hoped the girl would stop running because she was slightly out of breath, running in heels.

“I make my own decisions.” Clarke spoke definitively, poking herself in the chest. She repeated it again. “You can’t just give me a job because…” She finished the sentence in her head, while voices from her past taunted her foolishness for making the same mistake. “I can’t believe my mother was right…again.”

Lexa didn’t know what she had walked into. She thought Clarke would be happy. It is the kind of position she worked her whole life for, and deserved. “What was she right about? Clarke talk to me.” Lexa tried to stop the girl from pacing but Clarke threw off her stabilizing hand.

“You…personal and professional is always complicated. Do you think because you give me this title, you own me? That I’m yours?” Clarke was projecting and the glasses of wine she had weren’t helping.

“I never said that. I would never say that. Clarke I’m giving you my company, my entire life’s work because I trust you…as a professional. Since you’ve been on board we have never been better, I’ve never been better. There is no one else I would possibly I pick for this.” No matter how much Lexa meant every word she said it wasn’t getting through.

“I trusted you too.” Clarke slurred. “I thought we could do this.” Somehow, Lexa could see Clarke was having their entire conversation in her head rather than out loud because she knew there had to be some things she was missing.

“I need to go.” Clarke started down the stairs, grasping onto the rail for physical and emotional support. “I just need some time to think.” Lexa prayed it was only the alcohol talking because when anyone had ever said those words to her, it didn’t turn out well. Before she could follow, Raven and Bellamy appeared behind her. Bellamy walked down the stairs and walked with Clarke towards the door, Abby reminding him why Clarke might be reacting like this. Lexa stood at the top stunned, still unsure of what she did wrong.

“We will get her home safe I promise.” Raven patted her shoulder once. “Don’t worry, this has nothing to you. It’s not my place to tell but you need to talk to her when she is in a better state.”

“What is happening?” She called out to deaf ears. When they were out of her sight, Lexa turned to the nearest wall and hit it with the flat of her hand. She looked up at the ceiling, breathing in deeply and pushing her emotions deep into her fortress. What was supposed to be a memorable night was becoming memorable for the entirely wrong reason. She put her head on the massive pillar to her left and talked herself through the entire conversation, trying to find some reasoning for the irrational outburst. As she replayed each word, one name kept popping up-Abby.

She turned back toward the other end of the hall and saw the woman standing with Marcus. She marched over with no clear goal other than to undo whatever disaster just occurred.

Lexa grabbed Abby’s hand and pulled her away from prying ears. “What did you say to Clarke?” The tone of her voice was the one she reserved for board meetings or unruly clients.

Abby was on the offensive too though. “I told her what she needed to hear.”

“What does that even mean?” Lexa was tired of all of the non answers the Griffin women seemed to give.

Abby still didn’t answer clearly. “I don’t know how serious this is but I need to do what it is best for my daughter.”

“I am.” Lexa got closer than she intended but it was too late. She was a foot away from the woman who was already backed into a flowering pot. “I am what is best for her.”

“I’m not so sur-“

“I love her.” Lexa interrupted, completely stunned that the words actually left her mouth. She swallowed, knowing she couldn’t take it back. It only took moments to realize she didn’t want to. “I would never let anything bad ever happen to her. She and that little girl in there are everything to me.” Her breathing hadn’t caught up to her emotion yet, causing her face to completely flush.

“Since the day I met her, I knew she was special...but not because of anything anyone gave her. Clarke elevates herself…she elevates everything and everyone around her. I would be lucky if she would take over my company. The people who trust me with their livelihood would be lucky.” Lexa backed off a bit.

She looked out over the balcony they were standing at towards the door where Clarke had just left. Her heart was clenching and she could feel the small fractures forming. “I love your daughter…” She said it with more confidence than before. “…but if it is between me and my people I will pick them. They deserve her. The company deserves her…so it’s hers.” She looked back to Abby who was stunned into silence. “My heart is hers too but I will leave this all up to Clarke. Like she said, she makes her own decisions. I’m sorry I ever forgot or questioned that.”

Lexa turned away, refusing to let the woman say another word to her. She realized Anya had been standing there the whole time. “We’ve got to go kiddo.” She waved a hand to everyone and walked over to shake Marcus’s hand. “It was a pleasure.” He tried to say something reassuring but the only person that could assure Lexa at this moment was Clarke.

“Where’s Clarke?” Anya questioned as they walked down the stairs. “She didn’t like the surprise? Was it the plaque I picked?”

Lexa stopped on the stairs a few below Anya to where they were eye level. She looked at the girl, eyes still red and bleary. “Clarke needed some time to herself but I don’t want you to think for a second this has anything to do with you, okay?” Anya nodded. “She loves you so much, it’s me she is mad at.”

“But Clarke is always a little mad at you, she’ll be fine tomorrow right?”

“I did something without thinking and I think I broke her trust. That’s not something that is easy to get back.” The tears were falling a little bit harder. Anya realized how serious this seemed and she started to feel like it was her fault. It wasn’t like when Clarke left them at the school tour, this was deeper. Lexa had told her about the promotion and it was Anya’s idea to tell her tonight with the whole family, she even picked out the plaque.

“I hope so.” Anya bit her lip trying not to cry herself. It was no use and the tear started to flow more freely.

“Hey, I told you this isn’t you. Please don’t cry.” Anya wiped the tears away with her sleeve but she couldn’t help but feel responsible. Lexa leaned over and the girl wrapped her hands around the woman’s neck. Lexa took her entire weight and lifted her up. Anya buried into her shoulder wrapping her legs around her waist as well. Lexa rubbed her back in circles whispering that it was okay in her ears. “I’m sorry for putting you in the middle of this.” Lexa’s heart was breaking for an entirely different reason.

Anya sniffled, her entire body shaking. “I don’t want to lose anyone else.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was in the envelope? what is home? Who's on first? What's on second?

A/N I promise angst is short lived…ish.

The alarm sounded throughout the room but Lexa refused to move. She didn’t even bother to blindly reach out and silence it. Her head sank further into the pillow as she tightened her grip around the fabric. The synchronized tones were much more soothing to her ears than the voices that had been haunting her all night. The brief escapes of sleep she got brought back ghosts she hadn’t dreamt about in months. Sudden movement at her feet caused her to jolt up. Before she could open her eyes, a furry blanket covered her body. The wet tongue licked her face before she could push him to the floor.

“Come on Fish!” She tried to get him off but he jumped up again, smothering her with love. She conceded and patted his fur, curling an arm under stomach and bringing him into a hug. “Where’s your master?”  There was no one at the door which was surprising. Lexa leaned over and grabbed her phone. It was already half past seven which meant she had let her alarm go for over an hour. She flung herself out of bed and grabbed the nearest robe off the door. Running down the hallway, she quickly knocked on Anya’s door. They were going to be extremely late.

“Anya.” She shouted, banging again. There was no response so she pushed the door in a bit. The bed was made and her back pack gone. Starting to get concerned, she went into the kitchen continuing to call out the girl’s name with no response. “Alie, give me a log of the elevator.”

“The elevator from this level was last activated at 6:45 this morning.” Lexa didn’t understand. She was about to call the cavalry when she spotted a piece of paper hanging on the fridge door. She yanked it off the magnet and read the familiar handwriting. _Lexa, you were sleeping so I called Indra to take me to school-Anya_.

It was Friday. A whole day had passed between the dinner from hell and she hadn’t spoken to Clarke except an email that stated she would be taking personal days to be with her mother. This wasn’t what Lexa needed but she understood. Not completely but she understood enough to know that Clarke needed time to sort through her feelings about their relationship. Lexa just hoped that when she came to a conclusion, there would still be a relationship left. To say she was frustrated was an understatement. It seemed like the world had conspired against her this week. Clarke wouldn’t talk to her. Anya barely spoke to her too. In a split second she somehow alienated the two most important people in her life.

The debate that night was the farthest thing from her mind. She couldn’t make herself care about what Cage was going to throw at her. She was tired of fighting him. He would probably play dirty and Lexa wasn’t sure if she had enough fight left in her to match him. The split of her energy between her personal life disaster and her professional life made the meeting she had been in all morning, useless. She couldn’t even repeat six words anyone said to her. She could have agreed to raise wages by hundreds of dollars and she wouldn’t know. At one, Titus finally said it was adjourned and she ran out as quickly as possible.

When she rounded the corner Gustus was sitting in her office. “What are you doing here?” Her voice had an edge to it that he instantly picked up on it.

“I apologize Heda, I will take my leave.” He got up and headed towards the door and she let him, too tired to argue with any more people. “I thought you would want to know that the principal from Anya’s school has been trying to get a hold of you for the last half an hour.”

This caught her attention. She grabbed her phone off of her desk and saw the missed calls from the school. Without a word, she grabbed her bags and headed to the door. She was frantically trying to dial the school back but wasn’t getting through.

As she walked out the door she realized an important thing she didn’t have. She turned back around but Gustus was already holding his keys out in front of her. “Second floor parking garage. I’ll handle the meetings. Remember, I used to do this job.” She took them and kissed him on the cheek.

What should have taken thirty minutes took her twenty-two and she wasn’t proud of it. She parked the 300 series in the circle in front of the school and jumped out, nearly forgetting to turn it off. The school still hadn’t called her back and they hadn’t left a message. After everything was settled she was going to make sure to tell them they needed a better protocol. Taking the steps two at a time, she was breathlessly through the first two doors and at the office within moments. She opened the door and walked in. The two secretary desks formed a barrier to the back office where the principal was. There were a row of seats to the right of the door, and two familiar people were seated there. Her eyes met Clarke’s first whose arm was around Anya’s shoulder while she gave a look to Lexa that said _don’t freak out_. The other blonde had her head down, hair obscuring her face.

“Anya.” Her voice was soft but the girl still jumped a little. She buried her face farther down and leaned into Clarke who had something in her hand Lexa couldn’t see. Lexa put her bag down and sat in the nearest chair. She reached her arm towards them but when it made contact with Clarke’s she pulled it back quickly. She moved the unsure hand to Anya’s face, pushing the hair behind her ear. “What’s wrong, kiddo?” The girl turned to her slowly revealing a split lower lip that was  purpling. Lexa instantly turned into protective mode.

“Who did this? What happened?” She turned the girl’s chin towards here, trying to see if there was any other damage. She looked over to Clarke who she realized was holding an ice pack in her hand. “Why didn’t you call me?” She asked angrily.

“I left my phone at my apartment with my mom. They couldn’t get a hold of you so they called me, and I left in such a hurry I forgot it. I tried calling you from the school phone a dozen times, but your mailbox was full.” Clarke’s voice was calm even though her body language was defensive. She nodded down to the girl who still wasn’t making any eye contact, trying to say _don’t start something here_.

 Lexa got the message, stood up and walked towards the secretaries. “Is the principal available?” She asked. Before the man could answer, a woman in a pants suit with a tight bun on top of her head walked out of the corner office. “Miss Woods.” She stated. “Please, come in. If Anya is alright with Miss Griffin, I would like to talk to you in private first.” Lexa looked back and Clarke gave a nod of approval.

She walked into the office and sat down in the uncomfortable leather seat across from a large oak desk. The office looked just like it did when she had spent many days with the principal in her youth. The large window to the left looked out over the playground as a torture for the students who were forced to sit with the principal instead of going to recess. The bookshelves that lined the walls were also filled with old, musty books that gave the entire room an aging musk. Even though she knew she wasn’t the one in trouble, sitting in that chair made her feel like she was about to get a black mark on her report card. 

“Miss Woods.” The woman took her out of her flashback and sat down in the chair that sat just a few inches higher than her own. “I know you met my colleague the assistant principal before but I am the principal over the whole grade school here, Laurie Hess.” She reached out a hand and Lexa took it. “We’ve had a situation happen today at recess and I’m afraid your foster daughter was involved.”

“I saw her lip, what happened?”

“Honestly…” The woman leaned over her desk, folding her hands in front of her. “We don’t know exactly. It was reported by another student that Anya was caught in a physical altercation with an older child. We are unsure of what started the event but both obviously violence involved. ”

“Who was the other child?” Lexa questioned, alarmed.

“We aren’t sure. When the teacher saw Anya’s lips, one of the kids from her class reported that it was a fight with one of the middle schooler’s but would give no names.” She became stern and direct. “We have a zero tolerance policy for bullying and violence so we need to know what happened.”

“I’ll talk to her, see if she will say anything to me.” Lexa slouched in the chair, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know why she would do this. Is she going to be suspended?”

“We have not come to that conclusion yet. We do not know the details of the situation because no one will say anything.” Lexa placed her elbow on the arm rest of the chair and leaned her head on it, letting out a sigh that had been building up for days.

“Do you need a moment, Miss Woods?” The principal read her disposition easily.

“I don’t know what to say to her.” She admitted, not even caring this was probably not an appropriate conversation. “Do I tell her violence is wrong no matter what, even if she was trying to protect herself? What if she started it, what do I say then? What if she was lashing out and anything I say just makes her more upset and isolated?” She closed her eyes, thinking back to all the times she was in Anya’s position. All the times when she started a fight just so someone would pay attention to her. Or the times when she was just trying to stand up to a bully. Dozens of days spent in this exact chair, listening to voices reprimand her. She tried to think of what she would have said to herself if she could go back.

“I don’t think there is a right answer to any of those questions.” The principal was obviously sympathizing with her. “But that’s parenting. You don’t make the right choices all the time. You have to settle with making the best decision given all the information at hand.”

“Well, I’m new to this and right now it feels like all I’ve been doing is making the wrong choices.”

“Anya seems like a smart, happy, healthy little girl. You are doing fine. Now, let’s talk to her and see if we can’t find the truth.” Laurie walked out of the room to get Anya. When she walked back in, she didn’t go to her seat, choosing to stand by the door. “I am going to be back in a few minutes.” She was obviously giving Lexa a chance to talk to Anya but the girl seated next to her wouldn’t look at her.

“The principal told me you got in a fight, what happened?” There was no response. Lexa turned her chair to where it was facing Anya directly. “Please talk to me. I just want to know what’s going on with you.”

“Why?” She sneered. “I’m just a foster kid, why would you care?”

“Hey, we’ve had this conversation before, you are not just a foster kid.” Lexa put a reassuring hand on her shoulder but was instantly shrugged off.

“To you maybe, but some of the kids here aren’t like that.”

“Like the kid who did this to you. You can’t lie to the principal.” Lexa warned.

“I didn’t lie, I just didn’t say anything.”

“It’s the same thing.” Lexa shot back. “Omission of the truth is still lying.”

“I’m sorry.” Anya halfheartedly responded. This was her usual response when she did something wrong in all of the other foster homes. She learned over time that if she just apologized it would go away.

“I don’t want you to apologize.  I want to know why you won’t talk to me.”

Anya folded her arms and looked forward. There was a slight glint to her eyes as they scanned the room for anything to look at but Lexa. She found a particularly interesting painting on the wall of horses and dogs and she put all her energy in picking up every detail in the work. “Anya, please.”

Red coats. White horses. Brown dogs. Green trees. It wasn’t helping because she could feel the eyes on her. Lexa waited patiently, not giving up until the girl talked.

Clarke walked out of the office to get some air. Being in the same room as Lexa again gave her a whirlwind of mix emotions. There were the intense feelings she always felt when she was around the brunette. But there were also tinges of resentment and betrayal. She had gone over dinner a thousand times over the last day but she couldn’t shake the parallels between Finn and Lexa. Every time she tried, she remembered something else the two situations had in common and it made her feel sick again.

She walked down to the end of the hall and took a sip from the water fountain. It tasted like iron but anything at the moment was better than nothing. As she wiped her mouth with her thumb, a hand tapped at her shoulder. “Your Anya’s kind of mom, right?” A lanky orange haired boy in the standard school uniform stood behind her.

“Yes.” Clarke answered, unsure.

He held out his hand. “I’m Aden.” Clarke had heard the name before from Anya when she talked about her friends from school. “Is Anya going to get expelled?”

“I don’t know.” Clarke answered honestly. “No one seems to know what really happened.” She picked up on the boy shuffling nervously. “Unless, you know someone who does.” She continued.

“I was there.” He whispered. “Anya didn’t do anything.”

“Well someone said that she did.”

“That’s because everyone is afraid of Ontari and will do whatever she says.” Clarke made a mental note of that name. The boy looked around the hallway and saw that no one was there. He stepped in closer and began to whisper quickly. “Ontari was picking on this girl Row at recess and Anya saw it. She was mad because Row didn’t have any way of defending herself. So, Anya went up and stood in between them and told Ontari to leave.” A door opened down the hallway and he stopped, looking behind him. It was just the janitor so he turned back to continue.

“Ontari grabbed her shoulder to push her out of the way but Anya was incredible. She twisted her arm around and pushed the back of Ontari’s leg until she was kneeling on the ground. She told her to stop messing with Row and then let her go. All of Ontari’s friends laughed at her so while Anya was trying to help Row up, Onatri back handed her across the face with one of her rings.” Aden’s head dropped a little in shame. “I didn’t do anything to help her. I didn’t say anything…Ontari told her she was just an unwanted foster kid and no one would believe her.” His voice broke a little and his eyes were sunk. “…I didn’t say anything.”

“Aden, why don’t you tell the principal now?”

“The last kid who snitched on Ontari ended up transferring schools. I’m on scholarship my moms wouldn’t be able to send me anywhere else.”

“Please.” Clarke pleaded. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.” He agreed letting her lead him to the office. The principal was sitting outside her office door still. She had him sit down, giving Anya and Lexa a few more moments.

Anya still wouldn’t speak. She had already counted every button on the men in the painting and had given them each a name. Lexa sighed and leaned over, elbows resting on her knees. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you.” She whispered. This caught Anya’s attention.

“No one has ever protected me. I don’t expect it.” She finally turned to Lexa. “You have no idea what it’s like…to know that you are a phone call or a government paper away from being taken away. I don’t get a say in anything. People lie and make promises they can’t keep but it doesn’t matter because I know the truth…I’m a foster kid which means the only person who is ever going to really protect me is me.”

“Anya, I do know what it is like.” Lexa tried to explain but the door opened. The principal had another student with her and walked in. Anya seemed surprised by the visitor.  They all sat down and the truth came out.

A of couple minutes later Laurie came out and instructed for Ontari to be called to the office and for her parents to be called. She returned to her office and shut the door. Clarke settled down in the seat, hoping Anya wouldn’t get in trouble.

The front door opened and a tall girl with black hair strutted in with more arrogance than a teeny bopper should have. Clarke instantly didn’t like the girl. “Ontari have a seat.” One of the admins said. Clarke’s temperature got much hotter. The girl chose the seat next to her and slouched in, pulling out a cell phone. Every fiber in her body wanted to give the girl a well-deserved pop on the back of the head but she resisted because the law frowned upon that.

“Can I help you?” The girl looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. Clarke didn’t realize she had been staring.

“You’re Ontari right?” She made her voice as sing songy as possible.

“Who’s asking?” Her head went back to her phone, her hand flying across the screen as she matched fruit together.

“Do you know who makes that phone?” Clarke pointed at the familiar block with an outline of a tree on the back.

“Ummm Woods Inc.”

Clarke knew she was probably going to regret this conversation but the kid was the best example for population control she had seen in a while. “And do you know who runs that company, Ontari?”

The girl locked the phone and looked at Clarke directly. “No.” She shook her head.

“I do. As well as the woman in the other room over there… Anya’s foster parents.” The girl’s face went white. “I know what you did and I’m going to let the principal deal with it but let me make something abundantly clear.” She looked to her right to make sure no one was listening too closely to their conversation. “If you ever say so much as a word out of line to our kid again or to any kid in this school, no cell phone will ever work in your hands again.”

“Are you threatening me?” The girl sat up in her chair, eye to eye with Clarke.

“Honey, I’m a business professional I do not threaten…” The door opened across from them. Clarke stood up and looked down on the girl. “…This is a guarantee.” She finished. Ontari was too stunned to even notice that Aden was walking out of the principal’s office. Clarke thought that her girls would look more victorious but they both had sunken looks. She met Lexa’s eyes and every feeling she had for the woman hit her at once. She wanted to hug her and kiss her and tell her that whatever was wrong would be okay. But just as soon as those emotions hit her body, the tainted ones came too. The off feeling she had mixed unfavorably with all the good causing her to stay just where she was.

 “Please take Anya home for the day, we will see her back tomorrow. I understand that this is an issue of violence from one student to another so as soon as we talk with Ontari’s parents we will let you know what course of action is to be taken.”

“Thank you.” Lexa shook her hand and put her hand on the other two girls’ as she led them out into the hallway.

“Clarke.” The way the name came out of her mouth didn’t feel the same. “Can I have a moment with Anya, please?” Her tone was clear.

“Of course.” Clarke fake smiled as best she could, pushing the present issues aside walking through the double doors.

Lexa turned her attention to the smaller blonde. “Kid, tonight is going to be hectic. I can’t change that all of this is happening now but I want to have a conversation with you tomorrow. An honest conversation.”

 “Promise?” Anya held out her pinky. Lexa bit her lip holding in a smile at how this girl’s pinky had more power than a signed legal document.

“Promise.” They walked outside together where Clarke was sitting on the stairs.

“Are you coming tonight?” Anya asked, tone still lacking her usual perk.

Clarke looked to Lexa, knowing they hadn’t discussed if she would be working the debate or not. Brown eyes pleaded but she didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know.” She said honestly. “But I do know you are going to come back with me for the afternoon because I know Lexa has some things to handle.”

Clarke handed her the keys to the car and Anya ran ahead to start it. She turned back to Lexa who was fiddling with her shirt. Lexa stopped hesitating to say something. “Thank you for coming, today.” It was a whisper.

“I was just doing what was right for Anya.” Clarke didn’t mean for her words to sound so cold but they instantly affected Lexa.

“When this debate is over, can we please talk? I deserve a conversation.” Lexa matched her cool tone.

“Yes.” Clarke turned and walked away but Lexa stopped her. She reached into her bag and grabbed an envelope and handed it over.

“I hope this makes things clearer.” Clarke accepted it and continued down the steps. Lexa was tired of the feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her feel like that was the last time Clarke was going to walk away.

That night, half of the city came to the convention center to see Cage and Lexa square off. She had been preparing for this moment for weeks but it didn’t feel right. Anya was still sullen and Clarke wouldn’t be in the same room with her for more than a few minutes. She knew that the debate had to be her focus for the moment. She could talk to Anya and Clarke the next day but if she didn’t make a good impression tonight, all of their work could have been for nothing. She looked at herself in the dressing room mirror and admired what the stylist had done. She was in a light blue shirt because it made her look “trusting.” Her hair was pulled back so her face could be seen giving an air of innocence and youth, while the other part of her hair hung over her shoulders clearly stating her femininity. She hated this game but people spent years studying how a single tie or hair style can make or break careers.

She walked out of the room into a narrow white hallway where Anya and Gustus were waiting. Her heels made clanked with each step she made on the tiled hallway. She held a stack of notecards that Clarke had made her with the major talking points and what Cage was probably going to throw at her. She read through them allowed and her two companions agreed silently. When they finally go to the appropriate wing of the stage, Lexa turned back to address her people. “Thank you both for being here…” She gave them each a hug. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

She slapped the notecards in her hands and looked down at the familiar handwriting. “I couldn’t have done it without you either.” She mumbled, hoping the intended recipient would somehow hear it. The stage manager told her she was coming on soon and she held the stack behind her blindly, cold hands enveloped hers and took them. She turned quickly knowing they were too small to be Anya’s and two soft to be Gustus. She was met with perfect blue eyes that got straight down to business. “Don’t let him bully you on the budget. He may have more experience in government spending but you also run a company. Hit him hard on education he has no plan and you can skewer him but don’t bring it up too early or you won’t be able to carry the momentum the whole way through.” Lexa heard everything she said but couldn’t respond. Her smile wouldn’t budge to form actual words. Her smiled faded slightly as she saw the woman standing in the background. She didn’t have a second to address her before the man indicated it was time.

She turned back once more, speaking only to Clarke. “I’m glad you came.” She said sullenly like Clarke’s presence was the final thing she needed to win. Clarke reached in her bag and pulled out the now opened envelope.

“I’m sorry, I doubted you.” She wanted to say more but there wasn’t time. Lexa took the stage to a thunder of applause. She waved confidently to the crowds. Looking back, she smiled at her little family, Clarke’s hand resting on Anya’s shoulder while the other gave her the thumbs up. Lexa shook Cage’s hand and felt like she could actually win this. As they started the introductions, the other four faded back into the wings.

“Plavusa wons.” _Blonde one_ s.  “Have you come to hurt my daughter some more.”

“Gustus, Lexa and I are going to talk about all of this after tonight. Like real adults. I’m not going to storm out or not let her speak. I’m sorry I didn’t do that before.” Gustus accepted her response but still glared at Abby. They turned their attention back to the increasingly vocal debate. For the next twenty minutes everything kept going back and forth between them. Solid points were made and the crowd cheered loudly for both candidates. The conversation changed from politics to personal very quickly as they brought up the family vote. Cage went right for Lexa’s throat.

“I don’t understand how anyone who is concerned about their family could trust Miss Woods. What does she know about raising children and having to split your wage up piece by piece to provide for your family?” the crowd cheered. “The tabloids love to talk about her knew kid but being a parent for five minutes doesn’t teach you everything. She sits in her million dollar apartment while hopeless children are suffering in the street.”

Lexa had prepared for this question. “Just because I haven’t been a parent doesn’t mean I don’t know what it is like to live off of small wages. Growing up I didn’t have much. I worked in high school and college because my father’s store wasn’t always successful. So, I’d say I have a pretty personal experience with that concept.” She thought she answered the question well but the look on Cage’s face made her feel like she just gave him exactly what he wanted.

“I’m glad you brought up your father. You see, we did some digging because some things weren’t adding up.” Lexa tensed, this was not something she had prepared for. “You see, there is no record of your existence before 1996. We checked hospital records and the only births from a Gustus and Marian Woods was a son in 1986, who died ten years ago from a drug over dose. There is no record of you at all. Everything is completely sealed. So, Miss Woods, who are you?” The room went silent and Lexa swallowed the mass forming in her throat. She looked over to the wings and saw Gustus just as petrified.

“I am Lexa Woods.” She stated firmly. “Legally, that is my name and I don’t have to defend anything else. I don’t see how my records when I was eight are any concern in this election.”

Cage caught her and kept badgering. “Lexa these people want honesty. What are you hiding?  You’ve got to tell us something. Either tell us who you are or why you are really fostering this kid.”

“I’m not hiding anythi-.” Cage wouldn’t let her finish.

“Did you do it for personal gain? To seem more relatable to the public?”

“Because I was a foster kid!” She shouted to him. Lexa became instantly heated. He didn’t have any right. She took a deep breath and adjusted the microphone in front of her face. “…I did it because I was a foster kid.”

“You’re right, I was not born Lexa Woods.” She stated, gasps filling the room. “I was born Alicia Alexandra Clark.”

Clarke realized she was one of the people who had let out a breath, never knowing this information either. She looked down at Anya who seemed angry. The girl muttered something to herself and Clarke asked her to repeat it. “She lied to me.” Anya walked a few steps back but Clarke still barely caught it.

“Where are you going?” Clarke asked.

Anya lied saying, “The bathroom.”

Lexa was still composing herself unsure of what the public needed to know. “When I was eight years old, my parents and I got into a head on collision with a drunk driver who happened to be one of the highest ranking bosses in the O’riley mob family. Both of my parents died at the hospital so I was the only person left who could identify him. The police didn’t think it was safe for me so they gave me a new identity and put me in the one place no one could ever find me, the New York foster care system. I was given a new birth certificate with the name Lexa after my middle name.” Her eyes slowly pooled up.

“When I was ten, the Wood’s found me. They legally adopted me. I was cleared from police protection when I was eighteen but my records remained sealed.” She stopped talking to the crowd and turned directly to Cage. “So, Mr. Wallace, I’m not hiding anything from these people. I am a person with a complicated past which I don’t share because it is painful not because I am dishonest. Furthermore, I took this kid in because I saw an opportunity to better a life like my father did for me….We don’t all have sunny childhoods which is why I know intimately what it is like to grow up hopeless in this city. If I can help it, I won’t let that happen to another child.” The clapping began slowly. It grew as every pair of hands in the building was cheering for her. The light on the cameras in front of them indicated that it was time for a long break.

Cage marched off of the stage towards his team, furious. Lexa used her hand to wipe the stray tears from her eyes before moving back to her own people. Her relief from finally being able to talk about her past was overshadowed by Clarke’s concerned face. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Anya’s gone. We can’t find her anywhere.” Clarke tried to say it calmly but she was just as scared.

“Did someone take her? What happened?” As she asked this, Gustus ran over.

“The security outside said they saw her getting in a taxi.”

Lexa didn’t know how to process this. “We have to go find her. Why did she leave?” She began walking to the door but Clarke stopped her.

“You have to stay and finish this. We will find her, I promise.”

“How am I supposed to possibly keep a straight face out there when my daughter is in a random taxi in New York?!” Lexa didn’t even care about the slip of her tongue. Clarke put a hand to her face to calm her.

“She’s smart and resourceful. I won’t let a hair on her head get hurt, I promise.” Lexa pulled out her phone and dialed the number that Clarke had already called several times. To her surprise, the girl picked up.

“Anya where are you?”

“You lied to me.” The girl responded into the phone.

“What did I lie to you about?” She was distracting from the point. “Anya you can’t just run off into the night in a stranger’s car.”

Lexa tried to listen to the noises in the background but it just sounded like honking and New York traffic. “You were a foster kid.” The girl stated coldly.

Lexa realized what made the girl upset. “I didn’t lie to you about that Anya, I just hadn’t told you yet.”

“Omission of the truth is still lying.” Anya threw her words from earlier back at her. Lexa wanted to throw the phone but she knew the girl was right.

The lights on the stage behind her flashed, indicating the break was over. “I’m sorry please just tell us where you’re going.”

“I’m going back home.” The phone clicked off as Lexa continued to frantically say her name. She grabbed the nearest manager and told him she was done. Clarke stopped her though.

“You have to finish. It will be another thirty minutes, she said she was going home. I will go there now and tell Gustus as soon as I know anything. She’s being a kid, she just needs some time to be angry.”

Lexa breathed deeply and accepted the terms even though every instinct in her told her to go find Anya. “Tell her I love her.” Clarke kissed her cheek, not caring who saw.

“She knows.”


	20. Chapter 20

A/n Flashback time!!!!!! Also heck yeah for winning the eOnline poll. I can tell you that my friends and I who were voting never want to see a damn store front, river, mountain, or street sign again. I'm not even sure was a damn river is anymore because I got it wrong ALOT apparently. 

 

Clarke took a taxi back to the apartment. Every red light they stopped at made her more impatient. She tapped her foot on the dirty black floor, thinking she could change the lights with will power alone. As he pulled up to the side of the building, she threw him a hundred dollar bill and hopped out, taking the steps to the door two at a time. Patrick the door man, already had the large brass door opened for her. “Everything alright Miss Griffin?” He asked.

“Have you seen Anya?” She replied, mostly out of breath.

“Not tonight, ma’am.” Clarke stopped her movement. This was the only entrance Anya could have gone through to get to the loft without a key pass.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ve been here all evening.” Clarke went to the elevator anyways. When she got to the top floor, she was only greeted by the whines of Fish in his kennel. She shouted the girls name several times, opening every door in the apartment. There was no sign of her. She mulled over what Anya had said in her head. _Home,_ she thought. _Where would home be?_   She pulled out her phone and dialed Nia’s house phone. 

“Hello?” A young voice answered.

“Reese.” Clarke guessed. “Is Anya there?”

“Clarke?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Have you seen Anya?” She repeated.

“No. We haven’t seen her since the premiere last week. Is everything okay?” Clarke breathed in heavily. Her mind was racing between trying to figure out the next place the girl would be and what she would tell Lexa if she couldn’t find her.

“Reese, this is really important. If Anya said she was going home, what would that mean to you?” there was silence on the other end. She could hear other voices now discussing animatedly. 

“Van Cortlandt Park.” She finally responded. “Towards the North corner there is this place where a hiking group meets up. I’ve never been there so I’m not sure exactly where it is. I’ve seen the symbol though they have everywhere it looks like an upside down biohazard symbol, like you’d see at the chemical plant.”

“Thank you.” Clarke walked towards the elevator again. Instead of calling a taxi, she grabbed the keys to the pickup truck that were sitting in the bowl on the counter. In less than ten minutes, she was on the road again towards the Bronx. Her phone kept buzzing in her pocket and she knew it was Gustus or her mother checking in. She would have answered it if she wasn’t struggling so much with the stick shift of the vehicle. At a red light, she finally pushed on the clutch and put the phone to her ears and returned Gustus’s call. “No I haven’t found her yet but I have another lead. How is Lexa doing?”

Gustus was pacing at the wing of the auditorium watching as Lexa barely held on to her composure. She kept looking over waiting for the sign that they had found Anya but nothing came. “Not well. She is answering the questions but you can tell her mind isn’t there.”

“I’ve got one more place before I call the police.” The light turned green and she knew she had to hang up. “I have to go but as soon as I know, you will.” She dropped the phone in her lap and shifted the gears of the car, nearly stalling out in the intersection. Twenty minutes later she entered the far north entrance of the park. It was dark and the lamp posts didn’t offer much light. There was a large parking lot overshadowed with trees that Clarke pulled into. There were no other cars except a beater that looked abandoned. Putting the car in park, she reached into the glove compartment and found a flashlight.

From what she could see, the whole park was a mix of open grass, sprinkles of trees, and bike paths. Clarke walked on the path and headed towards a water fountain where there was a large sign. Scanning the map of the park, she spotted the symbol. Her fingers traced over the three connected circles that did look like a biohazard mark.  She shined the light closer to the words on the map. The place that said _you are here_ was only a quarter of a mile away from where the symbol marked. Clarke double checked the directions and walked north up the road that ran into a tree covered path. She kept going, the loud sound of her breath the only noise, except various unsettling breaking branches and crunching leaves.

When she finally broke through to a clearing, there were several shelters lined up next to each other. Under one of them, sitting on top of a wooden table, was a small blonde girl. Clarke exhaled like it was the last time she would ever release carbon dioxide from her body. She called Gustus and left him a quick voicemail, before running towards the shelter, her heels nearly causing her to fall over the gravel. The girl saw her approaching and instantly got up to walk away.

“Where are you going?” Clarke yelled. Anya ignored her and continued to walk towards the woods. “Anya!” Clarke sped up her pace and grabbed a hold of the girls shoulder turning her towards her. “Don’t run away from me.”

“Why not?” Anya refused to make eye contact. “If I run away than at least no one is sending me away this time!”

“We would never send you away, Anya.” Clarke put her hands on the girl’s shoulder.

“Well, you should. I’ve only caused problems since I’ve been here.” Anya looked at her feet, the gravel crunching as she dug her feet into the ground. “Lexa is always stressed! I probably got kicked out of school!” Her loud voice caught in her throat. “…I made you leave.”

 “Listen to me.” Clarke stopped her there. “Lexa was born stressed. That isn’t anything you have done. If anything, this is the most relaxed I’ve seen her in the years I’ve known her.” This elicited a small smile.  “Miss Laurie called and you are not expelled.” Anya finally looked up at her, realizing that her argument was pretty thin. “And that final point is wrong, too. I am so sorry if I ever made you feel like anything was your fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. There was a miscommunication and because I wasn’t willing to talk about it, things got out of hand.”

Clarke took the girl’s hand and led her back to the wooden benches. She sat up on the table, resting her feet on the seat. She patted the spot next to her and Anya sat down. “I think we need to talk because I never want this to happen again. Do you understand me?”

“Yes ma’am.” Anya nodded. “I’m sorry I yelled. I’m so used to nobody listening to me that I never say anything at all but then I get angry, so I kind of yell it.”

“Who are you angry at?” Clarke new the answer but she wanted to hear it.

“Lexa.”

“Why?” She gave the girl her full attention.

“She lied to me. Well…she didn’t lie, but she never told me she was a foster kid. I’m so tired of people only telling me half-truths.” The girl held onto the wood of the table with her palms, splinters starting to poke into her skins.

“I don’t think she ever meant to hurt you. I know she was going to tell you but it never felt like the right time.” The anger on the girls face didn’t dissipate. Her knuckles clinched harder and Clarke was sure they were going to break under the pressure. “Is that the real reason you’re upset?” She had hit a cord because Anya’s hands instantly settled and her eyes searched for something to focus on. “Anya.” Clarke repeated, after moments of silence. “Why do you call this place home?” Moments passed.

“This is the last place anyone saw my parents.” Her right hand reached to her chest, pulling on a small golden chain. “There is this group of hikers called the Grounders and they have been meeting for decades the last weekend of the month, right here. My parents used to be in this club.” She reached behind her neck and unhooked the chain, pulling it out from under her shirt. Clarke reached out her hand and Anya set the object down. “When I was found, there was a blanket with this and a note."

Clarke moved it around in her hand deciphering what it was. “It’s a compass?”

“Half of a compass.” Anya corrected. Clarke flipped the object in her hand and held it close to her face. She saw the north and west sign and on the back the same logo from the board. “That’s the year I was born.” The girl added.

“They also left a note…” She closed her eyes, imagining the worn piece of paper that she had read a thousand times. “Our dearest Anya, may you always find your way and one day may we meet again.” As she said the last words, she opened her eyes, soft tears forming in brown orbs. “Last week was the first time I didn’t come out here to meet the Grounders. For three years, I was here every month but then I moved in with you guys and I started to for…” Her breathing became quickened and the tears flowed faster like saying the words out loud would make them more real. “I started to forget.” She finished, defeated. “I was so happy with you and Lexa, I forgot about them. What if they were here? What if I missed them?”

Clarke pulled her into her side and rubbed her back as she cried freely. “They know you didn’t forget them.” Clarke knew that it wasn’t just about Lexa lying. She hated that this was the true reason Anya was upset. “I lost my dad too and when Marcus came into my life I did everything in my power to ignore him. I thought my dad was watching and would be mad that there was another father in my life who I looked up to.”

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. My mom took me aside one day and she told me that the only thing my dad would ever want is for me to be happy and to be taken care of. She told me that if he couldn’t do it, he would want someone else to do it for him. That day I realized that I always have him with me here…” She pointed to her heart. “…and I know no matter where I am, if I am happy he is happy, even if he isn’t there to always hold my hand.”

“Lexa and I will never be able to replace your parents but I promise as long as you are with us we will do everything in our power to make you happy and taken care of.” Anya started to calm down, wiping at her eyes. Clarke held onto her, letting her feel what she needed to.

 

Across town, Lexa had just finished the most excruciating forty five minutes of her life. Gustus had already given her the signal that Clarke had found Anya but it didn’t make her less worried. When she reached the wings, after many handshakes and forced smiles, Gustus wasn’t there but Abby was.

“Where’s my father?” She wanted to know where Anya was immediately.

“He is handling the press because he said that you would want to go directly to them. I drove so I said I would take you.” Lexa was hesitant, unsure of why the usual hostile woman was behaving so nicely.

“Where are they?”

“Van Cortlandt Park.” Abby said unsure, not familiar with the pronunciation. Lexa was surprised hearing that name. “Do you know it?”

“Yes, I do. My brother and I used to go there as kids.” She walked down the hallway and grabbed her things from her dressing room.

“Ready?” Abby led them to the car in the parking garage. They both slid into the black sedan and began to leave, hoping to beat the traffic. As they pulled out onto the street, Abby kept glancing over, making Lexa concerned.

“Is everything okay, Dr. Griffin?” She questioned, afraid there was something wrong with her girls.

“You don’t remember me do you?” The question caught her off guard.

“How would I know you?” The pulled up to a stop light and Abby looked over. Lexa studied her face more but nothing was clicking.

“Twenty years ago, I was the head trauma surgeon at CIH. I was working on an emergency appendectomy when I got the call that there was a head on collision and there were three people en route, two adults and a child.” Lexa froze, eyes forward. “The woman was already DOA but I spent six hours trying to save the man. I replaced his entire blood volume twice before I finally had to call the time of death. When I walked out of the surgery suite, it was three in the morning and there was a little girl, no older than my own daughter, sitting there surrounded by talking police officers. I remember thinking; please don’t let this be her parents.” Tears inched their way out of the corner of Lexa’s still unmoving eyes.

“I was told by the clerk that my fears were true. I sat down next that girl, unsure of what I could say. She looked tired and scared so I took her away from all of the people and brought her over to the vending mach-”

“And bought me a coke and a honey bun.” Lexa interrupted.

“I think we sat together for hours before the police told me they had to take you away.” She looked over to make sure the now grown girl was okay. “It wasn’t until they made me sign a fake death certificate for you that I realized how serious the situation was. I always wondered what happened to you.” They sat in silence for several more minutes. Abby knew Lexa probably didn’t want to bring up the past but she thought she had a right to know her role.

“That coke was the nicest thing anyone had done for me that night. Even with the flash bulb memories I get sometimes of it all, that one thing never escapes my memory.” They stopped at another light, allowing them to look at each other again. “Thank you.” She said sincerely.

Abby reached over grasping Lexa’s cheek and running her thumb over the stray tear, like she would with her own daughter.  Like a mother.  “You became such an amazing woman, Lexa.” Abby let her hand fall to Lexa’s shoulder and squeezed it. “I’m sorry I judged you so harshly the other night. Clarke was right, you are such a giving incredible person. Anya and her are lucky to have you.”

“I’m lucky too.” The light changed and they continued on, falling into a comfortable silence. Lexa couldn’t believe the smallness of her universe. She knew one day Abby and her would talk more about it but at the moment her mind was still away with Anya.

 

Anya had settled down and she began focusing back to the thoughts running through her head. “How are you going to both be in my life if you aren’t even together anymore?”

“I was angry at Lexa because of something else. Like you, I thought she broke my trust.” She reached into her purse and grabbed the envelope Lexa had given to her. “A few years ago, a bad guy took advantage of me. He showered me with gifts and promotions to make me feel special but he was just using me. When I caught him cheating, I wanted to break up with him. He blackmailed me into staying with him for over six months. Then, he ruined my career.” Anya was realizing why Clarke reacted so badly.

“So, you thought Lexa was going to do the same thing to you.” Clarke was surprised she didn’t have to spell it out. The girl was unbelievably perceptive for a ten year old.

“It was my insecurity but everything was happening in the exact same way. At dinner, the future flashed in my eyes and I saw her ruining my career all over again and I got scared, especially because there was more at stake this time. I wouldn’t just lose my job, I could lose you too.” Her grip tightened on the papers. “Then, she gave me this.”

“What is it?”

Clarke took out a large packet of papers and handed it to the girl. “It’s a signed vote of confidence from every member of the board.” Anya looked at her confused. “It means that Lexa didn’t just give me the job. It wasn’t a reward or a personal service. She asked every board member of the company to approve me first.” She pointed at the bottom of the page where there was a list of signatures and dates. “The last signature is from June. Before any of this.”

“So, Lexa isn’t like him?”

Clarke shook her head no. “You see, even adults forget to say what they are feeling sometimes. If I had just talked to her that night, she would have been able to explain it but I thought I knew everything. I am still so mad at Finn that I forgot Lexa was the person who finally saved me from the nightmare he started.”

“She saved me too.” Anya thought back to the day at the pier, opening her eyes and seeing a brown haired angel above her, telling her that she was going to be okay.

“She is amazing that way.”

“We’ve been taking it out on her, haven’t we?” Anya asked. Clarke didn’t have to answer. They both realized how hard they were being on the woman who did nothing but love them.

Clarke leaned back resting her hands on the wooden surface. “You think she’ll take us back?”

“I hope so.” Anya mimicked her movements, still falling a foot shorter. There was a comfortable silence that fell between them as they let the dry summer air envelop them. The mood shifted instantly. Any somber thoughts seemed to fade away with the breeze that blew past them, tossing the ends of their hair back. There was a peace that settled over them. Anya knew this was the most she had ever trusted a person in her entire life. It felt right. Destined. “So, how _did_ she save you?”

Clarke realized she had never told the girl how her and Lexa came to work together. “Like I said, Finn ruined my career. I was blacklisted from every job in this state that remotely fit me. Then, Lexa took a chance on me and here we are.”

“That’s it?” Anya asked surprised. “I thought there would be more explosions and death threats when your two started working together.”

“Well, I’m leaving out a few details.” Clarke smiled as she thought back to what felt like decades ago. Her head turned to the side and she saw expecting eyes looking up at her. “You really want to know this story?”

Anya pulled her legs onto the table and folded them in front of her, resting her hands on top. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay.” Clarke looked up at the apex of the shelter, searching the splintered wood for where to begin. “I had gone through about two dozen interviews up to that point and was turned away by every one of them. Even jobs I was way over qualified for, they didn’t give me because they were told I was problematic. At the time, Lexa’s building had some other tenants and I was interviewing for a position there.”

_Three Years Ago_

_“Mom, I swear this is the last interview. If it doesn’t work, I’ll fly home.” Clarke balanced her portfolio and coffee in each hand, while she tried to press the elevator button. Her phone began to slip from her ear and she let it drop to the ground along with one of the papers from her portfolio, instead of letting her coffee go. She could hear her mother’s voice concerned over their lost connection. If she moved even an inch, she was going to lose everything else. As she tried to figure out her next move, a large man in a tailored blue suit bent down next to her and picked up the scattered items_

_“You know this is a little outdated Plavusa won.” He set the phone on top of her binder as she looked at him confused._

_“Thanks?” He held out a hand, offering to hold a few of her things while she adjusted. She happily gave him her coffee and put the phone to her ear. “Mom, gotta go. Love you.” She threw the device in her purse and took the coffee back. The man was scanning the paper and handed it back to her._

_“Are you here for an interview?” The elevator dinged behind her and she followed hi m in._

_“Yes.” She nodded, petrified at small talk. “Second floor secretary.”_

_“Secretary?” He asked surprised. “I don’t me to pry but your resume seems to qualify you for other positions.”_

_Clarke cursed internally. She was well aware of how good her resume was and how over qualified she was for the last six positions she had interviewed for and hadn’t gotten. “Yeah, well tell that to the other people in this town.” She didn’t mean to sound so rude but she was unbelievably frustrated. The elevator went up one floor and more people got on. They all greeted the man like he was the friendliest guy in the neighborhood. They climbed several floors and the traffic got on and off until they finally reached the last six floors and it was the two of them again._

_At the twentieth floor, she went to get off, as did he. He held the door for her and she continued to walk as he followed. She kept glancing behind her, wondering if he was actually stalking her. She saw a group of similarly dressed and nervous people sitting in an open area and she went towards them. At the desk, she started to say something but the admin simply pointed to a piece of paper on the table. Clarke walked over and saw that it was a sign in sheet. There were five names ahead of her and she already knew she wasn’t getting this job. She was surprised so many people wanted this particular job. Glancing over her shoulder again, she noticed the man staring at her still._

_She drained the rest of her coffee and sat next to a freshly shaved boy who put on too much Beckham that morning. “Hey.” She nudged him. “Do you know who that guy is?” He looked at her like she had a second head._

_“Are you serious? That is Gustus Wood. He is in one of the big wigs here.” He went back to his phone and she settled back to her chair. She didn’t know who he was still. She hadn’t read anything about a Gustus Woods with this company. Instead of worrying about it, she continued to practice her interview. Unlike most people, she had to answer her strengths, weaknesses, and defend her entire character all within the hour._

_Thirty minutes passed and she still hadn’t been called. Her appointment was at one and it was already half past. The coffee had already gone straight to her bladder and she wasn’t going to last the interview if she didn’t find a bathroom. The admin directed her down a long hallway. She finally found the white door but the maintenance man was there._

_“I’ll just be a few more minutes.” He commented. She held her bladder in and walked to lean against the opposite wall. To her right, there was a large office door that was partially open. Loud voices flooded through it and she could hear at least two people arguing. She tried to not be nosy but it was the only thing interesting, unless she included the man grunting from the bathroom trying to adjust the sink._

_“We are losing that entire market!” A female voice yelled. “We can’t afford any more mistakes.” Clarke was bored and pictured the strong women in a power suit._

_“All of the data suggests we are doing it right, I don’t know why the results aren’t there.” A nasally man responded. Clarke continued her game, imagining that he was probably in glasses with a bow tie on and an ipad in his hand. She inched closer to the office trying to get a better ear on the situation._

_“Screw the data!” Power Suit yelled. She still couldn’t see into the office but she was close enough to pick up all of the words. They were talking about new stores opening in the Bronx. Clarke was slightly confused because she thought this company sold paper in bulk, so they wouldn’t have individual stores. She didn’t realize how close she was getting until she slightly nudged the door._

_“Shit.” She whispered to herself, trying to run back to a nonchalant position on the door. It was too late. Glasses, as she predicted, opened the door wide a breeze of sickening shaving cream hitting her nose._

_“Can we help you?” Her face went red, as she pretended to look at her phone._

_“No.” He looked at her incredulously and turned back into the office, not bothering to shut the door._

_“Lexa, I’m just saying if you want three new phone models within the next five years, we need these stores to be successful.” Clarke’s head popped up when she heard the word “phone.” She actually turned hers on and googled Gustus Woods. The company logo popped up and she realized she was in the wrong place. This wasn’t the company she had set up the interview with. Realizing she missed her real interview, she put a hand to her face in disbelief. The fact she couldn’t catch a break was ridiculous._

_Deciding not to give up and not run to beg for an extension, she leaned farther into the wall. Going to the bathroom was going to have to be the biggest victory of her day. She continued to listen and was able to piece together exactly what the problem was. They had just opened new stores but none of the product was selling. They were already considering closing them without even a month under their belt. Clarke was able to pick up the locations of the stores and scoffed. Of course they weren’t going to buy that overpriced stuff. Most people in those regions worked two jobs to pay all their bills and send their kids to good schools. Splurging on a bunch of tech gear probably wasn’t in the cards. A sad truth you realize in business._

_“We haven’t been able to sell any of the GS series in any of the new stores.” Clarke rolled her eyes and she listened to the increasingly annoying guy. Tired, frustrated, and full of coffee, she snapped._

_“It’s because they can’t afford them, dumbass.” She didn’t even remove her hand from her face as she said it._

_“Excuse me?” He turned back, not believing this stranger was talking to him. “Are you talking to me?”_

_“Yes, you…Bow tie and after shave. You aren’t going to sell anything in that area if it costs twice as much as their average weekly paychecks.” She was about to walk away, set on finding the nearest bar._

_“And who do you th-.”_

_“Shut up, Jasper.” Power Suit stepped in. Clarke heard heels behind her. “Stop.” She didn’t know why she listened but she turned around, eyes low. Her interest was peaked as she took in the black heels. Her eyes traced up tanned skin towards a tight red skirt and a low cut white blouse. She was already flustered before she met beautiful green eyes that were framed by flowing brown hair. The woman was gorgeous but the way she was staring was menacing._

_Clarke composed herself, and took her usual confrontational position. “Yes?” She asked annoyed._

_“Why wouldn’t they buy these models?”_

_“Because you’re approaching it all wrong.” The woman look offended._

_“Care to explain?” She requested._

_“Not really.” Clarke breezed her off, turning back briskly walking down the hallway to the lounge, forgoing her desperate need for a bathroom. Power Suit followed, even though her description wasn’t quite accurate anymore._

_“Do you know who I am?” Clarke didn’t respond continuing to get her things. She grabbed her portfolio and walked back to where the woman was still standing._

_Eyes were now on them. Silence taking over the sound of keys clicking. Clarke looked her up and down and shrugged. “No, I don’t know. Probably someone super important who thinks they are the end all to be all…but it wouldn’t change the fact that you are still wrong.”_

_There was a bar close and Clarke knew there was a jack and coke with her name on it. She couldn’t get over the way the woman was looking at her though. It was a death glare mixed with admiration. She gave in and set her portfolio down, preferring to use her hands when she talked. “Like I said, you’re reading the demographic wrong. If you want that store to do better don’t offer deals on the phones they already are going to struggle to afford. Instead, you should place special prices on the other models that are more affordable. Do you make less money per unit? Yes. But will you sell twice as many? Absolutely. Your turnover will be even bigger and by allocating more of the older models to those regions you reduce overstocking.”_

_Not a single person was typing a word. The only noise was the phone ringing on the admin’s desk. The woman quickly put it on hold, letting the tension go back to complete silence._

_“Happy?” Clarke asked picking up her things again. She made it five steps before a voice called out._

_“Wait.” This was the second time Clarke turned around for this unidentified ranking individual. Before she could speak, the man from earlier, Gustus, had appeared behind her. He was staring at Clarke with pure fire._

_“I am sorry Heda. The girl is her for an interview with the company downstairs, I think she is los-” She put a hand in the air, silencing him._

_“What position are you to be in that company?” Her words were careful and slowly dictated._

_Clarke wanted to lie but Gustus already knew. “Secretary.” She said sarcastically. The reaction was what she expected. There were a few snickers from Beckham and aftershave. Clarke threw ice their way. Surprisingly, the woman in front of her didn’t seem to think it was funny. Instead, she began to study Clarke, trying to figure out how she worked from ten feet away._

_“Report to my office at eight a.m. tomorrow. HR will take care of the paperwork.”_

_Clarke responded, stunned. “You don’t even know my name.”_

_“She’s right Lexa, but I do...” Gustus added. “I looked her up. She has a…reputation. Complicated is an understatement. You can’t honestly be considering this.”_

_She walked towards Clarke, not breaking eye contact. “I’m not considering it…I have decided.” She stood a little taller and capitalized on it, looking down on Clarke. “Do you accept my proposal?”_

_“You haven’t proposed anything?” Clarke stepped into her space. “Why should I work for you? What would I even be doing?” In her head, Clarke knew she was only asking these as formalities. Even if Power Suit wanted her to clean her floors, she would accept it if it paid anything._

_“Fine, here is my proposal. You would act as my personal assistant and consultant. Other duties may be assigned based on my assessment.  A hundred thousand base salary.” She leaned in closer. “You have five seconds to decide.” She whispered coldly, holding out her hand. Clarke knew she was going to lose this staring contest. She swallowed and took the hand with a little unnecessary force. If she was honest, as soon as she heard that her pay check ended in more than two zeros, she was sold._

_“I accept.” They stayed there a few moments, inexplicable energy exchanging between them. Lexa took one look over her shoulder towards the dozen of intruding eyes and they all went back to work. She smirked to herself at their quick reaction and turned back to the blonde._

_“I’m Clarke by the way, Clarke Griffin.” She still had an edge to her voice._

_“Clarke.” The woman let the name roll off of her tongue. “I am Lexa Woods...” Clarke smiled but it faded as she recognized that last name again. “…and I own this company.” Her face dropped. Lexa walked away towards Gustus who continued to try and talk her out of it. She pretended to listen but actually was looking back and the still stunned blonde. The beautiful stunned blonde._

“You seriously didn’t know who she was?” Anya laughed.

Clarke couldn’t contain her own laughter. “No clue. I had gotten off the elevator at the wrong floor. Lexa was on 21 and I was supposed to go to HR on 20. I guess it was fate.” As she said this, a person emerged from the woods. Clarke was nervous as first, realizing she didn’t have anything to defend them with. She recognized the long hair though. Lexa walked towards them, hands stuffed into jacket pockets. Both girls moved back to their original position of sitting off the edge of the table.

“It’s a nice evening for a stroll.” She commented. Lexa didn’t know what environment she was walking into so she tried starting off with a joke. She was just so relieved that they were safe, especially since she felt she caused the girl to run. Without a response, she climbed up next to Anya and sat down. “Kid, I’m really sorr-”

“Please, don’t.” Anya interrupted. “There has been enough apologizing around here. It isn’t necessary. I know you would never intentionally hurt me.” Anya looked back to Clarke, who nodded reassuring her. “I was upset about something else and I was taking that out on you…and I should have never run away. It was dangerous and I could have been hurt.”

“This is oddly mature.” Lexa smiled. “Has Clarke actually been a good influence?”

“She is really good at mom guilt.” Anya joked back. Clarke’s heart clinched hearing herself being called a mom in any way.

“I promised you a conversation and I want to have it.” Lexa didn’t look at her directly but she knew the girl’s non answer was permission to continue. She told the girl about her parents and her time in the foster system. They both understood different rules that you learned quickly in the system. Clarke respectfully listened as they exchanged stories. Anya also talked about her insecurity about forgetting her parents but she didn’t mention the grounders or her compass.

“It just feels like I will never truly belong with anyone else so I’ve held on to the hope of finding them all this time later…How did you accept Gustus and Marian?” Lexa rolled the question over in her head.

“There is this story that Gustus told me the first Christmas I was with them. I didn’t feel like I belonged either and all of their family seemed to despise me because I wasn’t pure like them. He took me aside and told me this old folk tale from back in his village about a bear and wolf.” She stood up to act out the story as Gustus had to her. “Millennia ago when animals could speak there were two great clans the wolves and the bears.” She snarled for the wolves and put fake claws in the air for the bear. Clarke and Anya looked at each other, unsure if this is how the whole performance would be.

“One day, a young female wolf strayed from her pack into bear territory. She came across the leader of the bear pack who taunted her. _Don’t you know I could kill you with one paw?”_ Lexa deepened her voice. “But the bear knew killing the wolf would only cause problems because she was the daughter of the pack leader. Instead, he swiped his paw down and left the imprint of his hand on her side so every wolf that saw her wouldn’t want her. The wolf grew up and was not always accepted by her people. She was called Bear Print and was never able to have pups causing the other members of the pack to treat her poorly.” Lexa’s voice was soft.

“One day!” She shouted, surprising them both. “The pack was hunting in the forest and they came across one of matriarchs of the bear clan. She was caught unawares and begged for mercy but the pack had none. She tried with all her might to protect herself but it was no use. A few days later, while they were on hunt again Bear Print heard a muffled cry behind a stump and inspected it. There, was a tiny cub hiding. _Please don’t hurt me.”_ She squeaked. “ _I’m all alone and have no one.”_

“The rest of the pack heard the noise and investigated. They wanted to kill the cub as well but Bear Print stood between them. She said, _‘Do not lay a paw on this cub or you will answer to my father.’_ They slinked away and left the two strangers together. The cub hid further but Bear Print dragged her out by the scruff of her neck. _I will not hurt you, strikwon.”_ Lexa continued to act out the scene, alternating voices. “’ _How do I know that.’_ The cub replied. Bear Print turned to the side and nodded to the scar on her side. ‘ _Put your paw to my side.’_ The young one complied and reached out her paw. It fit into the markings, perfectly. _‘Why does my paw fit?’_ Bear Print turned towards her and said ‘ _Because we fit together. I was meant to be your mother and you my child._ The little bear looked at her paw and to the mark and somehow knew the wolf was right. They did belong together. _’_ ’ She stopped, not needing to continue to make her point.

 “The story goes on but the moral is that sometimes the universe puts two seemingly different people together because they belong that way. Regardless of reason. When Gustus told me, he held out his hand and took mine into it. He said that our hands would never be the same but somehow they always would fit together.” Lexa walked over to Anya and held her hand in the air. The girl put her own up, barely coming to Lexa’s knuckles. “We fit together too, kid. We might not be exactly the same but we were meant to be.” Anya dropped her hand and flung herself around Lexa’s waist. Clarke followed, wrapping herself higher up around the brunette’s neck. After a few seconds, Lexa peeled them both off.

“I have one more thing I want to discuss with you?” Anya sat back down and Lexa stood next to Clarke, their hands unconsciously lacing together. She savored the sensation of the perfect fit.

“I promise I will do everything to find your parents but…” She didn’t know how to say it. “…but if it comes to it would you want to make this a more permanent arrangement?”

“Adopt me?”

“Yes…Your parents loved you. I can tell you that without ever knowing them and I know they would want you to be happy. I think we make you happy or at least we tr-.”

“Yes.” Lexa smiled, not having to finish the argument she had formed in her head. Anya felt a warmth spread over her, coming from the compass that sat on her chest and spreading through her whole body. She knew it was a sign from them. “We fit.” She reasoned, getting up and walking between them. She broke up their hands, putting her own in each of theirs. “We all fit.”

 


	21. Chapter 21

A/n I want to give a shout out to one of my friends who said something that made me want to continue this story. I was  having a hard time going forward but they said just the right thing. Surround yourself with people who know when to knock some sense into you.

 

Cage sat in his chair looking out over the city from his window. His hands clenched on the sides of the brown leather chair. The door behind him opened and his racing thoughts were cut short.

“You called me, sir.” The familiar voice of his campaign manager made him tense. He turned the chair slowly, moving his hands to a folded place on top of his desk.

“Jay we have an issue.” Even with the sun lit office, his eyes were black leaving the woman slightly unsettled.

“Sir?”

“Last week I was edging towards this victory and do you know what I woke up to?”

“Your approval rating dropping.” She moved further into the office, more out of nervousness than necessity. Her grip on the campaign binder slipping as her hands began to sweat.

“I don’t think ‘drop’ is an appropriate comment,” he sneered using air quotes. “We are going down faster than the goddamn zeppelin! Do you have a plan or should I hand you your unemployment slip now?”

“I have some leads to get the main demographic back.” She was confident in the new advertisements.

“We have two months, Jay…you have one. Fix this or I will ruin your career.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. He ran a hand through his greased hair as he turned back to look out the city, his city. A man slinked out of the shadows of his office and walked in front of him.

“If she cannot fix this problem, do you have a plan?” He held his hands behind his back, awaiting orders that were surely coming.

A wicked grin came to Cage’s face. “I always have a plan Emerson.” He licked his lips as he could see his vision play out over the glass pane. “If I’m not going to win with votes, I will simply eliminate the competition.”

“I can make it look like an accident.” He unconsciously cracked his trigger finger.

“We aren’t to that point, yet.” He looked at the man with slight trepidation. “Why are you so eager to take such…drastic measures?”

“My daughter was just kicked out of school because of Miss Woods. You could say that this is a little more personal than our other arrangements.”

“I’m glad you brought up that point.” Cage reached for a folder on his desk and threw it towards Emerson. He opened it, revealing a dozen pictures of Clarke, Anya, and Lexa at a number of events, as well as, text receipts between the two women. “Lexa is weaker than she thinks. The girl and her lover are where we strike. Hit the right spots and she will leave on her own.”

Emerson looked at him proudly. “How did you get these? I thought I was your own lackey.”

“I have kept some of my…less than legal ties over the years.” They shared a smile. Cage stood up and reached his hand over pointing to a picture with Anya and Clarke’s faces circled. “Take these two away from her, and it’s over.”

“With pleasure.” Emerson closed the folder and began to walk towards the door, a silent agreement of discretion between them. “I’ll wait for your word, sir.”

The week that passed between the debate consisted of many conversations. Clarke and Lexa finally came to an understanding of their personal and professional relationship. Clarke agreed to take the company given Lexa’s mayorship, although Lexa was going to give her the post regardless of her win. Over the past months, she had come to realize her real passion was not in business. And if she was honest with herself, Clarke had been making all of the major decisions recently anyways.

Anya was also able to go back to school a hero. After Ontari was kicked out, even the teachers noticed a difference with the students. Even though Anya was still happy with just her small friend group, she came home the past Monday with a flyer for soccer practice and a dozen different offers for play dates. It was overwhelming to feel so included in everything. Lexa was more excited than her about soccer. Secretly, Anya was doing it for her more than herself. She knew she made the right choice when they spent three hours in the sporting goods store and Lexa bought more things than Anya.

At soccer practice on Thursday, Clarke had to hold Lexa back from correcting every other thing the coach was telling the girls. “It’s just grade school soccer,” She insisted, hiding her face from the other parents who were staring every time Lexa stood up to say something.

Clarke grabbed her hand, dragging her back into the lawn chair. Lexa didn’t take her eyes off of the the drill the coach was running which taught nothing and was useless in a real game. “He is telling them to dribble in a straight line. They aren’t even cutting it to the side or passing to each other.” She pointed to two kids who just ran into each other. “They are literally running into each other because they can’t go any other direction but straight.”

“Let them be. This is a  learning experience and is supposed to be fun. It isn’t professional soccer.” More eyes were on them again. Clarke waved and smiled to one of the parents who was being a little too nosy.

“What kind of learning experience is it if they aren’t learning correctly? Fundamentals are no joke.” Lexa was once again louder than intended.

“Excuse me.” A man in excessively short shorts with a whistle hanging from his chest walked towards them. Clarke sunk farther in her chair. “Do you have a problem with how I run things?”

“No sir, she doesn’t.” Clarke answered quickly.

“Actually, I do.” Lexa stood up, not realizing she was actually taller than the man. She tried to slouch a little so they were closer to the same height. “The drills you are running aren’t going to help them in a game. We’ve had two practices this week and they haven’t done one scrimmage. There is a game Saturday and they aren’t even going to know what position to play.”

“And what makes you an expert at youth soccer?” The other parents put their phone down, a dozen of spiked hair heads turned towards them.

“Umm….” Lexa realized her resume wasn’t actually that great besides physically playing. “I played in college.” It came off as more of a question.

“Of course.”He rolled his eyes. “You know what? Here ya go.” He shoved the clipboard in his hand towards her. “I was looking for a replacement anyways. It’s all yours.” He walked off the field without a question.

“What?” Lexa tried to catch him but he was already slumped in the chair next to his wife, phone out. Lexa turned back to Clarke and to the girls in the middle of fields, hand on their hips, waiting to be told what to do. There were also a row of parents who were waiting for her to do something. Clarke could tell the brunette didn’t know what to do. She huffed to herself and got up out of her chair. She grabbed Lexa’s arm, dragging her out to the middle of the field and calling the girls to them.

“Guys, this is Lexa. She is going to be your coach for the next few days.” She started to walk away but Lexa reached out to her.

“Clarke, they don’t have name tags. How am I supposed to tell them apart or break them into groups?” She was actually concerned. Clarke walked back to the group and tried to assess them.

“Okay, blue and green shirts over here, pinks and red over there, and any shade of black white stay where you are.” They all went to their respective places, eagerly awaiting what to do next. Clarke patted Lexa’s now folded arms. “Good luck, honey.” She said sarcastically, walking back to her seat.

She sat down, putting her sunglasses back on. She could still feel eyes on her though. Turning to her left she gave a curt, “Yes?” They averted instantly back to their phones, except for one woman. She was brave enough to stand up and walk in front of Clarke who was now scrolling through her phone. The new person sized shade over her, indicated she was going to have to be civil.

“Hi, “ She said overenthusiastically. “I’m Becky. The girls and I were just wondering if you wanted to sign up for a snacks day?” Clarke gave her a what the hell are you talking about look. “Right, you’re new. Each week one parent brings the half time snacks for the team.” She handed her a piece of paper that had a dozen names already filled in. Clarke went ahead and signed up for that Saturday and handed it back. “We also usually have a sleepover after the games on Saturday so if your daughter would want to go, Karen is hosting it.” She pointed to a brunette on the far end who waved.

It took a minute for Clarke to realize they were inviting her into their inner circle. She didn’t know how to respond. There needed to be some kind of response though because the bleached blonde was still standing there. “I’ll have to talk with Lexa about it but I think Anya would like that.” She sipped on her water bottle, while the woman still didn’t walk away.

“So you two are together, together.” Clarke coughed, the water racing down the wrong tube. “I mean we aren’t in the city so we really don’t keep up with the politics much but since we heard you would be coming to St. Mary’s we caught ourselves up.”

“It’s uhh…” She cleared her throat again, setting down the bottle. “We are umm.” The glee on the woman’s face wasn’t lost on Clarke. She had just buried herself. Becky sat down in Lexa’s seat, hands on top of Clarke’s.

“So it is true! I knew it. You two are so cute.” She whispered it to keep a sense of secrecy but Clarke knew the soccer moms shared a brain anyway so if one of them knew, they all would. “I promise there is a bond of silence here. What happens among us, stays here.” Clarke raised her eyebrows, nodding fakely.

“I promise.” Becky reiterated. “See the girl at the end.” She nodded her head to a black haired woman who was definitely asleep. “She got a boob job a month ago and keeps telling us she didn’t but it’s obvious…oh my gosh and Chad the guy in the dark green polo gabbing with Alex, the old coach. Well…” She held her hand up like this was going to be the biggest news Clarke ever heard. “…he is cheating on his wife Karen with one of the secretaries at school.”

“What?” Clarke was not expecting that, quickly avoiding eye contact with the men.

“That’s not the craziest part.” She leaned in closer. “Alex is sleeping with Karen…and they all know.”

“Shut up. You’re lying.” Within five minutes, Clarke had transformed into one of the gossipy moms, absorbing all of the intermingled history of the people she  was sitting with.

“Yeah, so if you thought you two shacking up was something scandalous, honey you are in the wrong school system.” Becky stood up to walk back to her crew, waving her fingers sweetly. Clarke didn’t know if she wanted a shower or to call a tv station to make a reality series about this.

Her attention went back to the field where the kids actually seemed to be learning something. She smiled proudly as Lexa was trying to show them how to dribble in jeans and tennis shoes. The brunette chose that moment to look over. Realizing Clarke was staring too, she gave a small wave and smiled. She was distracted long enough for one of the kids to get a ball at her side, knocking her in the shoulder. Clarke’s hand instantly went to her mouth, holding back the laugh. Lexa was embarrassed  and picked up the ball, like she meant to be hit.

An hour later, the kids were tuckered out but at least moderately prepared for the game Saturday. The old coach was huffing and puffing as his own daughter was talking about how awesome Lexa was. Anya and Lexa walked towards Clarke, hand in hand, kicking the ball in front of them. Clarke offers a low five to both of them. She collects the chairs and they head to the car. Both Becky and Karen wave at them, smiling in a way that was too sweet for Clarke.

“What is that all about?” Lexa asked, feeling the weird air as well.

“Do I have a tale to tell you,” Clarke teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Excuse me, Miss Griffin but when did you become such a gossip.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She walked a bit faster, allowing Lexa to swing her bag, knocking her in the ass. “Hey!” Clarke squealed.

Before Clarke could retaliate, Anya stepped between them. “Come on, children. If you kill each other, I don’t get ice cream.”  They piled into the car and headed to the promised treats.

“I agreed to be snack duty Saturday so we might need to go to the store.” Clarke pulled out her phone and began googling healthy snacks. “I didn’t really play sports so I have no idea what to do.”

“Juice boxes and fruit roll ups.” Anya put in her two cents, trying to find the buckle to her seat belt. “…or chips. Those would be a crowd pleaser.”

Lexa turned back to the girl, squinting her eyes. “Nice try kid, we are not loading you with sugar and fat at half time. You won’t even make it to the field for the second half.”

“Parents Weekly suggests orange slices, celery sticks and powerade,” Clarke added.

“Do you want me to get beat up?” Anya realized that was not a funny joke when both women looked back at her. “Sorry,” She raised her hands. “Too soon…All I’m saying is that other kids will think you guys are lame if you give them fruit and vegetables. Row’s mom makes rice krispie treats from scratch.”

“Yes, but the parents will view us as responsible.” Lexa and Clarke high fived while they backed out of the parking lot. “Your social status is not the only thing we have to worry about.”

“You are the worst.” Anya rolled her eyes.

“I think that is a record. We went a whole three days without her saying she hates us.” They fist bumped this time, continuing to antagonize the frustrated girl. Clarke couldn't last long with the girl pouting. “I’ll make you a deal squish. We will go to the store together to get everything and I’ll let you pick one thing to add to the snack bags.”

“Done.” She quickly agreed.

Saturday morning, Clarke and Anya set off to the store while Lexa made a very suspicious excuse why she couldn’t go. The game wasn’t until late afternoon so they had plenty of time to get the bags together. The thirty minute drive to the closest walmart was mostly filled with school updates. Anya hated English but loved Art and Math. She wanted to do her history report on famous female patriots during the revolutionary war. It wasn’t until they pulled off the exit, that she started to get uncomfortably quiet. Clarke looked over and could tell she had that look on her face. The one where she wanted to say something but was afraid it wouldn’t make sense or would hurt someone's feelings.

“I can feel you thinking from over here,” Clarke commented pulling up to a stop light.

“I have a question.” Anya played with the  hem of her shirt. “It isn’t something you have to answer but I was just thinking about it and I was talking to my friend Aden at school about it and he says that it’s just like first names. As long as they are different, it’s easy to tell the difference.”

Clarke was now confused. The light turned green so she couldn’t look at the girl to try and decipher what was happening in her mind. “I’m not sure what you are going on about.”

“You are Clarke and she is Lexa,” Anya started, moving her hands to signify two separate places. “But if you stay together and I’m still here then it is different, right?”

“I plan on staying with her, yes…and you. But I don’t know how that makes anything different.” She turned into the parking lot and pulled into the closest spot just so she could put her full attention to the conversation. Putting the car in park, she turned towards Anya who was still trying to figure out how she wanted to word things. “I don’t think that was really the question you wanted to ask.”

“It wasn’t,” Anya admitted. “If Lexa becomes my mom…” When the word left her mouth, she stopped and smiled. The word felt so right. She shook her head, realizing she hadn’t finished her sentence. “If she is mom…what does that make you?”

Clarke wasn’t quite prepared for this question. She would be lying if she didn’t think about it. They had been living in a bubble where day to day and week to week was hard to think past. But, sometimes, her mind wandered to the far future when Anya would see her as a mother. She didn’t realize that future would be so soon. “Oh my gosh, I scared you didn’t I? I’m sorry.” Anya tried to backtrack but Clarke held up a hand.

“What would you like to call me?”

Anya played with the leather on the arm rest. “Clarke works but you aren’t just Clarke to me. You know?” She bit her lip nervously. “You’re a parent. You’re my parent. If you want to be my parent,” she added quickly.

“I don’t think we pick who are parents are just like we don’t pick who are kids are. Everything is just meant to be.” She put a reassuring hand on Anya’s shoulder. “As long as I am here, I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”

“Thanks…ma.”

They smiled at each other until Clarke pushed her towards the passenger door. “Let’s do this before we are late for the game.” While Anya got out, Clarke let out the breath she was holding. This was happening. The future and the present crashed together and now she was in it, one hundred percent.

When they got home, there were still a few hours before they had to be at the game. As they rounded the corner with hands full of groceries, they were met with a very interesting sight. All of the furniture was piled into one corner and the living room floor was covered in a white tarp.

“Lexa?” Clarke called out confused. A figure in thick rimmed goggles and covered from head to toe in white popped out from behind the hallway.

“Oh my God!” Clarke pulled Anya behind her quickly and reached in the bag, grabbing the closest orange she could find and flung it at the apparent intruder.

The ghost threw up their hands, deflecting the flying fruit. “Clarke, it’s me!” The blonde already had another orange raised, ready to attack. Lexa swept the hair cover off of her head and pulled up the goggles. She raised her hands in the air. “Put…the…orange…down.” She slowly said every word.

“Shit.” Clarke put her hand to her chest. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“And you’re first instinct was to pellet the intruder with fruit?” Lexa gave her a teasing grin but it was wiped off her face as another citrus projectile made its way towards her. “Hey!”

Anya popped out from around Clarke, her eyes raking up and down Lexa, equally confused. “What are you wearing?” She questioned. “You look like you work for the CDC.”

Lexa walked over towards them, swinging the goggles in her hand. She put an arm over each of them and led them over to the kitchen table where there were gallons of open paint and matching coveralls. “I noticed that this place was a little too grey and chrome. So, I thought we could brighten it up with some paintings.” Leaning against the wall were several six foot, white canvases. She grabbed one and the coveralls, walking down the steps to put it against the tarp.

Clarke’s eyes lit up as she looked over all of the brushes and various colors. In her mind, she could already picture the scenes she could create. She turned back to the brunette who was holding out a suit for her. Clarke bit her lip and resisted smiling. “You’re crazy,” she laughed.

Lexa wiggled her eyebrows in response. “Really? Or are you just mad you didn’t think of this first.”

Clarke took a few steps back, sneakily grabbing a paintbrush behind her back. “What website did you find this on?” She dipped the brush in a bright pink, still holding it out of sight. Anya saw this but didn’t dare say anything, deciding instead to put on the suit. Lexa defended that it was completely her idea not realizing Clarke was just trying to distract her. Clarke took slow steps down the stairs, the excess wet paint dripping on the back of her leg. Lexa was still rambling.

“For your information, I went to three stor- ” Before she could finish, Clarke swept the paintbrush in the air but she forgot to take into consideration Lexa’s great reflexes. While her hand was halfway to the target destination, Lexa caught it, spinning her around to where her back was now rubbing on the plastic of Lexa’s suit. The brush was still in Clarke’s hand but Lexa kept it hovering it over her very white shirt.

“Don’t you dare,” She warned. Lexa turned her hand a little more getting it closer and closer. “Lexa.” With one flick, her shit was covered in cold, pink splatter. Clarke luckily knew Lexa’s greatest weakness. She reached her hand behind her and began tickling the woman’s sides. Lexa flinched, curling backwards. Clarke got the upper hand and turned around, finally able to smear the paint all across Lexa’s still writhing chest. Paint was flying everywhere as they grabbed aimlessly for the other. As they both had one hand on the other’s wrist, sprays of liquid hit their side from a different direction. They turned to see Anya with two blue and green paintbrushes in her hands.

The paint dripped down the corner of Clarke’s temple and Lexa’s arm. “At least it’s non-toxic…” Anya offered sheepishly. Clarke wiped her hand across her head, rubbing the teal liquid between her thumb and finger. It smelled like playdough and felt like cheap concealer.

“Really good thing,” Clarke responded mischievously. She made her way quickly to the girl.

Anya knew what she was doing. “You can’t get me on the wood!” She tried to run up the stairs but Clarke already had an arm around her waist spinning her around back onto the tarp. Paint was flying everywhere as Anya tried to keep her hold on the handles while fighting off Clarke’s grip.

“I’ve got the prisoner.” Clarke held Anya in a bear hug in front of Lexa who spun her own pink brush around.

Anya tried to wiggle out of the hold but it was impossible. “Come on, this isn’t fair…” she pleaded. “Mom, seriously?” Lexa held the brush up and peeled back the hairs. She let go, splattering the front of the tyvek.

“Natrona.” _Traitor._

Lexa laughed. “hogeda fer u wor.” _All is fair in war._

“I will call a truce if I am allowed to put on a suit too.” Lexa and Anya nodded to each other, dropping their respective brushes. Clarke let go of Anya, laughing when she saw the pink imprint on the girls back too. It took her a few minutes to figure out the logistics of the outfit. Once she was in, she walked over to the first canvas which now had various splatter patterns on it. She turned her head a few times around, trying to imagine what it could become to incorporate those accidents.

“What do you see?” She asked Anya, who had knelt down next to her. Lexa smiled above them as she watched their heads turn back and forth at the same time.

“A shooting star,” she finally concluded. She pointed to the speckles of blue and green that had formed an arch. “There is the tail and this,” she spun her finger around the large pull of pink, “is the meteor.” Clarke saw it too.

“Alright, so what do we want the rest of it too look like?”

“We can make a bunch of big circles for the planets and then splatter it in black to make the stars. It’ll be like space in reverse.” Anya looked back at Lexa for approval as well. Lexa gave her two thumbs up and went back to the table to get the rest of the paint. “What do you see, ma?” Lexa nearly tripped on the last step. She looked back and noticed that Clarke wasn’t phased at all. She kept talking about flowers and a meadow. As she was pointing out where a white picket fence could go, her eyes looked up and met Lexa’s. She gave her a look that said _I know, it’s okay._

Lexa continued to collect the supplies, unable to stop the warm, bubbling feeling that was filling her entire body. It was almost unsettling because she was sure there wasn’t another time in her life that she had felt like this. She had a family of her own. Like Abby had said, she had people to come home to at the end of the day.

She dropped the paint buckets on the floor next to them. “You guys start this and I will make the snack bags.” They ignored her, animatedly talking about what they were going to create. She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Alie, Kelly Clarkson pandora, please.” My Life Would Suck Without You blasted through all of the speakers in the house. It was a fitting song.

When she came back twenty minutes later, her girls had made impressive progress. There were colorful planets scattered around and they had made the tail of the shooting star twist through each of them. Lexa knelt down and grabbed a brush but Clarke stopped her. “I have seen you doodle, you are not getting near this master piece.”

“Yes, because your summer art camps make you the professional,” Lexa shot back.

Clarke sat up on her heels. “How did you know about that?” She tried to think back if she ever had mentioned it and she was pretty sure she hadn’t. “Lexa,” She questioned again.

“Your mom may or may not have mentioned something about when we are on the phone this week.” She looked everywhere but blue eyes.

“You have my mother’s phone number.” It took her a second but Clarke finally caught up to the whole of what Lexa said. “Wait, you spoke to my mother this week?”

Lexa twirled the paintbrush around and pursed her lips. “That would be correct. We were just discussing when she was coming in town next, like Thanksgiving and if we could go out there before Christmas…just normal girl talk.” Clarke dropped her brush and cupped Lexa’s face, crashing their mouths together. Lexa wasn’t quite balanced and they toppled over onto the wet canvas, smearing the paint.

They both laughed, rolling off onto the tarp. Clarke looked up to Anya who was shaking her head. “Sorry, squish. It’s not my fault Le…your mom’s perfect.”

Anya looked at the newly modernized art work. “Honestly, it doesn’t look half bad. It has a certain post-modern feel to it.” They spent the next hour finishing the one painting, conceding that everything else would have to be done later.

Clarke packed all of the treat bags into a kooler while Lexa attempted to consolidate the paint mess. Anya busied herself packing for the sleepover and game. Clarke walked down the steps, freshly changed into the school’s colors, and sat back on the free section of the couch. “Anya is going to that sleepover at Karen’s house.”

“Correct,” Lexa responded, confused at where that comment came from. She stacked the last of the paint and sat on the floor in front of Clarke, leaning back between her legs. Clarke leaned forward and grabbed Lexa’s shoulders, squeezing them lovingly.

“I was thinking we could have a date night.”

Lexa closed her eyes and had mindlessly grabbed the hand on her right shoulder, rubbing her thumb up and down the back of Clarke’s palm. “I could probably make a reservation.”

“No, need. I bought some things at the store to cook you dinner.” Lexa leaned her head back, opening her eyes to an upside down beauty.

“Really?”

“Really,” Clarke mocked leaning down and placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Now, go get dressed coach. I want to see khakis and a polo stat.” Lexa hopped up and quickly got changed into her gear. She walked out of their bedroom looking slightly ridiculous. It was too hot for pants but she almost wanted to endure that instead of the embarrassment of the short khakis on her long legs. It didn’t help that the tucked in blue polo made her look like a school kid again. She placed a ball cap on her head, and pulled the end of her pony tail through the hole.

They were running behind and barely made it to the field in time. As they parked, Clarke could tell Lexa looked a little nervous. She squeezed her hand that still set on the gear shifter. “Just pretend they are a room full of board members.” Clarke pushed her a little until she got out of the car. Her and Anya went off with the team to warm up while Clarke grabbed the kooler. She threw her chair over her shoulder and pulled the kooler out. She tried to balance everything to close the trunk but nearly dropped it all. Before she could try again, a hand came up and closed it for her. She turned and the same perky smile from Thursday greeted her.

“Hi, Clarke!”

“Hey, Becky.” She tried to sound enthused but it fell flat.

Becky reached out a hand and took the other side of the kooler. They hauled it over to their side of the field and set it down with an umph. “Thanks.”

“Of course! You really went all out.” She leaned in close. “We usually just get brownies from walmart,” she whispered. Clarke mentally cursed. Anya was right, she should have gone fun, not healthy.

“Anya loves fruit so we just went with what she wanted,” she lied. They set up their chairs and watched as the kids attempted to warm up. The other team was completely disorganized. Half of them were doing what was supposed to be stretching but looked more like a kind of new age yoga. The other half were throwing the ball at each other and laughing. Lexa’s squad was in two straight lines, while she led them in coordinated stretching. She counted the even numbers while the kids counted the odds. At fifteen, they clapped twice. After that, they broke into groups of two and began passing with each other.

Karen walked in front of them and set up her chair next to Clarke. Plopping down, she commented, “Three days and she has them looking like a professional soccer team.”

“She is just excited to coach.”

“We are happy to have her. It’s not every day you can say your kid’s soccer coach is the next mayor of New York.” The other two women laughed together, and Clarke joined in awkwardly. “It doesn’t hurt she is easy on the eyes too.”

“Excuse me?” Clarke sat up straight.

“Alex was great and all but I’m not going to lie, your girl makes this heat a little hotter.” Becky smacked Karen with the newspaper she was using to fan herself.

“Ignore her.” Clarke didn’t even know what to say but her blood pressure was rising.

Karen didn’t think she was doing anything wrong. “Come on, Becks. You were thinking it.”

“Was not.” As she said this, Lexa ran over to the sideline to get some water. She pulled up her shirt to wipe some of the sweat from her forehead, revealing more of her abs than she probably intended to. Karen caught Becky tilting her head and staring.

“I mean those legs do go all the way to the floor.” Clarke stood up in front of them and was about to say something before the two women bust out in fits of laughter.

“I told you, she would freak out.” They high fived and continued to rock back and forth snorting. Clarke rolled her eyes and collapsed back into her chair, crossing her arms.

“Oh come on Clarke. Karen and I knew you would be a little jelly bean, we were just having fun.” She reached over a peace offering of a bottled water. Clarke snatched the wet bottle out of her hand but didn’t say thank you.

“I’m not jealous,” she defended. He new “friends” gave her an incredulous look.

“Sure…and my ass is real.” Karen gave another high five to Becky. Clarke slumped further in her chair and pulled out her phone. She guessed them making fun of her was a right of passage but she still didn’t like being the butt of jokes.

The whistle blew and the game began. Clarke knew very little about soccer. She got the obvious parts of it. The goal was to shoot the ball into the net. Don’t touch it with your hands. Don’t go outside of the lines. Other things completely confounded her. The pimply, teenage ref was blowing his whistle every two minutes for some reason or another. Lexa was shouting words like “goal kick” and “offsides” that Clarke had to google. Early on, the ball went out of bounds right by her feet and she kicked it over to Anya who was getting ready for a throw in. She picked up the ball and began to line up.

“You can’t touch it with your hands,” Clarke leaned forward and whispered, trying to be helpful.

“Ma, it’s a throw in. You’re supposed to use your hands.”

Clarke sat back in her chair and gave her two thumbs up. “Proceed.”

At half time, Clarke had the score written down as 1-1. Their team was better but for some reason it was harder to defend people who had no idea what they were doing. Lexa was getting frustrated. She walked up and down the field, encouraging her players to keep going even though they kept on getting pushed down. A few times, she took the ref to the side to ask him to call more fouls. He didn’t listen because the second half was just as brutal.

The other team’s parents didn’t seem to care all that much their kids were pushing people around like it was football. They cheered as a particularly burly blonde knocked down Row, the smallest kid on the team.

“Foul!” Lexa yelled to the ref. “How is that not a foul?” She took off her cap and ran the back of her hand across her forehead. With minutes left, they were still tied. Anya broke away with the ball and was about to score when the same blonde headed kid knocked her over from behind, in the box. A matching large man in red flannel and suspenders, stood up and clapped.

“That’s my boy!” He yelled, high fiving his neighboring parents. Anya hadn’t gotten up though and Lexa had already rushed onto the field. Clarke couldn’t tell what was happening but she was on her feet ready to go.

“Give her a second,” Karen said, grabbing Clarke’s wrist. As she said this, Anya popped up and shook her arm out. Clarke turned her head towards the gentleman who was still snickering even though her girl was just hurt. “Don’t do anything stupid.” Karen could tell Clarke’s fists were clenching. She swallowed the string of curse words she wanted to unleash on him. The whistle blew and Clarke turned back to the game. They put the ball in the middle of the goalie box and Anya was standing there.

“What is happening?” Clarke asked.

“If a player gets fouled close to the goal they get a penalty kick. That means they get to kick the ball directly at the goalie from that spot.” Clarke watched as Anya spun the ball around on the ground and took a few steps back. They all held their breath when the ref blew his whistle for her to go. She took three steps and hit the ball right on her laces. It flew to the upper right of the net while the goalie dove to the left. Before it swished into the back of the net, the whole St. Mary’s side of the field was cheering. Even though the game wasn’t technically over, Lexa ran out on the field and threw Anya over her shoulder spinning her around.

The other team had gotten very quiet. Clarke too a few steps further onto their side and cleared her throat. “Hey Paul Bunyan.” Flannel shirt looked up to her, still fuming. “That is my kid.” She enunciated every word. As she walked back to her seat, she slapped the hands of Becky and Karen, who were stunned at her boldness.

After everything settled, the ref called the game. The kids shook hands and gathered around Clarke who passed out the snack bags. Anya attacked her with a bruising hug around the waist. “Did you see the goal?”

“Of course I did!” She hugged her harder. “You are the best penalty kicker in the world.” When they broke apart, Clarke noticed a bruise forming on the girl’s arm. She rubbed her hand gently over it. “You okay?”

Anya shrugged, looking over at some of the other teammates who seemed to be laughing in her direction. “Battle scar,” she responded.

Lexa finished talking with the refs and came over as well. She gave a short speech about how hard they worked and that she was excited for the rest of the season and then let them all disperse.

“Good job, coach.” Clarke kissed her on the cheek.

“It was touch and go there for a second. Good thing we have a secret weapon.” She curled Anya into her side. “We need to work on our defense though.” Anya wasn’t exactly paying attention, slurping the remainder of her kapri sun, watching the other girls that still seemed to be looking at her.

“Sure thing, mom.” She took a final gulp. “Gotta work on offense.”

“I said defense.” Lexa called after her, as Anya walked over to her friends.

Clarke tugged her arm. “Babe, accept the victory.” They each grabbed a side of the kooler and walked it to the car. Clarke grabbed Anya’s overnight bag and brought it over to the girl.

“We will pick you up tomorrow morning.” Anya grabbed the bag quickly and went back to talking. Clarke was confused that the girl didn’t say goodbye.

“Have a good time,” She offered, giving the tiny blonde another chance. She was met with the same curt nod.  She walked back to Lexa who picked up on her face.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Are we lame?” Clarke studied the group of girls Anya was talking to. “I think Anya is too cool for us.”

“Ridiculous.” She tried to make her point by calling out to the girl and waving. Anya gave the smallest finger twirl possible and continued to talk. “What? We are so cool.”

“The coolest,” Clarke added. “We brought oranges.” 

“Anya!” Lexa yelled out to the girl and waved her over. “Have a good time,”she said lamely, not having a better excuse for calling her over.

“I will!” She waited for permission to return to her friends but noticed how weird Clarke and Lexa were acting. She knew exactly what it was but she thought if she wanted to fit in with these kids she would have to do what they did. And none of them talked to their parents after the game. Or ever. Anya looked back to her friends who were waiting and decided they would  have to like her how she was. She grabbed both of the woman's’ arms and pulled them down to her level. “Thank you, love you.” She pecked them each on the cheek and ran back.

“I told you we were cool.” Clarke didn’t get to response as Karen and Becky came up to them.

Karen leaned against the car. “Lexa I hope you stick with us for the season. This team could really use your assets…I mean you are an asset to the team.” Clarke opened her water bottle and sprayed the remainder at them.

“Cool down sparky,” She laughed.  “Keep walking.”

Karen winked at them for good measure and walked over to the gaggle of girls, loading them in the car.

“Don’t ask,” Clarke said, sneakily slapping Lexa’s assets  as she walked to the passenger side of the car.

When they got back to the loft, Clarke told Lexa to go shower while she started dinner. The day was hot enough that she wouldn’t have  minded a shower either but the menu she had planned in her head would take awhile anyways. She turned on a slow jams radio and began swaying around the kitchen as she organized her ingredients. She threw on a pot of water and cracked some noodles into it. She started to make her mother’s sauce ,stirring and twirling to the music.

She swayed her hips as an acoustic verseion of John Legends _Tonight_ played in the background. _Come on let me kiss that, I know you miss that._ She was singing a long to the song, she didn’t hear Lexa come into the kitchen until  the brunette was right next to her. Her hair was wet and tousled half hazardly. Clarke loved the fact that their romantic dinner was going to include sports shorts and an oversized tshirt. Lexa leaned against the counter, facing her cook. “Somehow alfredo sauce makes your face more beautiful.” Lexa swiped her thumb over Clarke’s cheek putting it into her mouth. “…wow that’s fantastic.” She went to grab the ladle but Clarke swatted her hand.

“It’s not ready yet, be patient.” Clarke turned back to stirring and Lexa wrapped her hands around her waist, nipping at her collarbone. Lexa’s hair dripped on Clarke’s neck, leaving droplets to trace down the expanse of her back. “This isn’t going to help your case,” Clarke mumbled. Lexa pulled blonde hair to the side and kissed under her neck. She knew she was having the desired effect when Clarke stopped stirring. She used her other hand to sneak under the thin white shirt, meeting warm flesh. The sound of the bubbling water was over taken by heavy breathing and the music getting louder. _Tonight you’ll need that. Tonight believe that._

“You were saying.” Lexa whispered in her ear, as Clarke leaned farther into her. She unbuttoned the top button of Clarke’s pants  but didn’t go further. She moved her hands back up soft skin until they made contact with coarse lace. The ladle splashed into the pot as Clarke reached up to the invading hands. She turned around, meeting green eyes that were hungry for something that food couldn’t satisfy. It didn’t take but a moment for Lexa to attack her lips. She pushed them over to the counter, blindly knocking away the cooking supplies and lifted Clarke up.  Clarke laughed into Lexa’s mouth as she shifted herself to the side, removing an uncomfortable spoon that she had been placed on. Discarding it quickly, she moved back to Lexa’s mouth. She started to remove her shirt, but Lexa stopped her hands.

“Wait.” She muttered breathlessly. She put her hands around Clarke’s waist and lifted her up again. _Baby, tonight’s the night I let you know. Baby tonight’s the night we lose contorl._ Clarke laced her hands around her neck, holding on as Lexa walked them down the hallway, never breaking eye contact. “Alie,” she called out. “Turn off the stove.” They both ignored the robotic response as Lexa broke the threshold of her bedroom door. She set Clarke down gently on the end of the bed, leaning down to softly kiss her. She grabbed the edge of the white shirt and lifted it over her head, throwing into the corner of the room. _Tonight, I’ll be the best you’ve ever had._ Looking back down, she couldn’t move.

“What’s wrong?” Clarke was nervous that she had done something, that Lexa wasn’t happy with what she was seeing.

Lexa couldn’t help the small smile that played at the corner of her mouth. “You are so…” She held their hands together, squeezing them. “..you are just so you.” Clarke didn’t know why but it was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. She had always compared herself to other people and was afraid in every relationship she wouldn’t measure up to people they had been with before. But this was different. To Lexa, she was everything not because she was as beautiful as this person or as smart as this person. She was enough exactly as she was, without having to compromise anything of herself.  She didn’t know how to respond. Instead, she pulled Lexa down on the bed to her, flipping them over.  If she couldn’t speak what she felt, she would show it.

_Tonight, I’ll be the best you’ve ever had._

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for this delay. My life got a little hectic and out of hand there for a second.

a/n sorry for the delay you know life is a lil bit too busy

 

The only window in the room sat high up in the corner and streamed young light over the foot of the bed. Clarke was a creature of the morning. Her body sought out the first light of the day and it instantly recharged her. As the light crept up the blankets, it touched the single toe that had found itself peeking out. That was enough, though. The warmth traveled up her body and through her arms until they stretched up above her head. Unlike most mornings, that movement was difficult because of another body tangled with her own. She rapidly blinked the sleep out of her eyes and smiled at the beautiful woman next to her who was sprawled out on their back. Even in sleep, Lexa looked tense. Clarke was convinced that her body was so used to being on alert that it didn’t know how to relax. She really wished that there was something she could do, a way she could touch her that would take away that rigidness. But at the same time, she knew that was what made her, her.

She was taken out of her thoughts by the dull ache in her neck. She sat up slightly on her elbow, and rubbed circles over the muscles. If she had known what the night before was going to entail, she would have ate a banana or stretched at least. 

She spent several minutes sitting in silence before it started to get to her. "Lexa,” she whispered, hovering near brown curls. “Lexa,” she repeated a little louder.

The sleeping bear was not happy. There was a slight groan followed by, “Shhhh…go back to sleep.” Lexa rolled onto her stomach, clutching the pillow with both arms. Clarke was wide awake, though. She sat herself up farther on her elbow and scanned her lover in the sun. It was much different when there was light and time to appreciate. She ran her hand over Lexa’s exposed back, her fingers tracing over each muscle. It was like looking at art work. Each detail was unique and told a story. Just like when she went to exhibits, her teeth grabbed at her bottom lip as she began studying the mosaic flesh. It was littered with white scars, random freckles, and a life time of challenges.

Even though she knew Lexa wanted to sleep, she couldn’t help herself from asking, “What are these from?” Her thumb rubbed over a particularly long mark running along the top of the brunette’s hip.

“You’re going to have to be more specific,’ Lexa mumbled, eyes still closed.

“These scars.”

Lexa looked over her shoulder where Clarke had her hand. “That would be a soccer cleat from a very unpleasant Columbia soccer player.” Brown hair snuggled back into the pillow while Clarke leaned over and kissed the mark. She dragged her fingers along it and moved on to a series of hexagons that sat along her spine.

“And this?” Lexa knew where she was just from her soft hands.

“Damir and I were fighting at the cabin upstate and I fell on a radiator.” Clarke repeated her motion again, kissing the scar and finding another one. She learned about the softball bat that had a knick in the top and left gashes along Lexa’s bicep every time she swung. She learned about Nat, the cat Lexa had growing up that would claw into her shoulder when there was a storm outside. One day, she escaped out the window because no one would ever close it. Clarke learned that her left ear had a small scar across it from an earring coming out, which is why she didn’t have her ears pierced anymore. There were a dozen small marks from more cleats and finger nails during soccer, a few unfortunate run-ins with some doors, and even a piñata accident.

She kissed every scar and absorbed the story that went with it. There was one mark left that made her smile devilishly. “…and what about this one?” She leaned down and kissed right at the base of Lexa’s neck, causing the woman to wince slightly. The mark was still very fresh.

“I’m pretty sure that one was from you.” Lexa gave up the notion of going back to sleep so she flipped herself onto her back, Clarke still hovering over her. She smiled at the mess of blonde hair that looked suspiciously like her girlfriend. She used the hand that wasn’t asleep to brush some of it behind Clarke’s ear and then leaned up to kiss her. It was supposed to be quick but she couldn’t help herself. She pushed herself up further to where they were both sitting up. Lexa’s hands began roaming more but Clarke stopped them.

“Wait…” She was barely able to breathe out.

“Is something wrong?” Lexa asked worried, looking into blue eyes.

Clarke held the back of her neck and rubbed circles into the muscles there. “I need a Gatorade or something because I am exhausted.” Lexa snorted to herself. She leaned back to reach something on the night table. Clarke just stared like a teen boy at her fully nude chest at complete extension. Lexa’s abs were at full attention and Clarke couldn’t resist reaching out and touching them. Lexa hadn’t quite reached what she was looking for but she leaned her head back and raised her eyebrows to Clarke’s actions. “I thought you said you were thirsty,” she said in her most sultry voice. She flexed her stomach while she pulled herself back to the middle of the bed, Clarke’s hands not moving.

“Here.” Lexa opened a blue bottle of Gatorade. Clarke reluctantly removed her hands and took the drink graciously.

“When do you get this?” Lexa didn’t usually have a sports drink stock pile in her room.

Lexa scooted back down, leaning against the head board. “After you passed out,” she said nonchalantly.

Clarke coughed into her drink, eyes going red as she tried to catch her breath. She screwed the cap onto the bottle aggressively. “You mean fell asleep.”

“No, I think I mean passed out.” She grabbed the bottle out of Clarke’s hand and took a drink. She released a satisfying sigh and wiped the dribble that had escaped her mouth with the back of her arm. “Some people would have said fainted…”

“I did not faint,” Clarke held up her finger.

“Really?” Lexa furrowed her eyebrows. “Because I remember one second I was doing that one thing with my hand and then you were…well you were very happy…and then you were no longer among the awake.” Before Lexa knew what was happening, Clarke was straddling her and pinning her arms down.

“Take it back!” She tried to hold her down but it was proving difficult.

Lexa leaned up into Clarke’s face. “Never!”  Clarke squeezed harder on her wrists.

“Take…it…back.” For a second, Lexa wasn’t sure if Clarke was being serious or not. She stared at her trying to get a read on the situation. Then, she saw a slight glint as Clarke’s pupils dilated. She knew this was just a game.

“Make me.” Clarke didn’t need any other prompting and leaned in further to Lexa’s neck. She kissed it gently until she got to the spot from the night before. She breathed out on it slowly, hot breath causing Lexa to squirm in pleasure and pain. It was apparently the reaction Clarke wanted because she sat up again, hands still holding Lexa down.

“Any last words?” She husked.

“Yeah…” Lexa used the moment of cockiness to her advantage and wrapped her legs around Clarke’s waist, using the momentum to flip them over. In one more movement she had both of Clarke’s arms above her head, holding them with just one hand. She leaned in to Clarke’s ear and whispered, “…stop pretending you’re a top.” Lexa continued to kiss down her neck while Clarke haphazardly threw the bottle out of the bed. Later she would regret not knowing where it was.

 

They barely were able to put themselves together in time to pick Anya up at Becky’s. It was half past ten when they finally pulled up. It was a cute neighborhood across the river in New Jersey that had a row of copy and pasted white town houses with small patches of green and honest to goodness white picket fences. Clarke was on the lookout for the house number because not only did they look the same but all of them had similar mini vans parked in the drive way.

“I kind of like it out here, it’s much more peaceful.” Lexa gave her an incredulous look.

“Well, the mayor of New York can’t exactly live in New Jersey,” she laughed.

Clarke knocked her in the shoulder for being a smartass. “I just meant neighborhoods like this. Where there is grass and air and you can let your dog run free. Sandy has been with Gustus for two weeks because he couldn’t stand being cooped up.” She pointed ahead at the drive way with a silver Nissan in it. “I’m just saying living in the city is great when you’re single or even just with your partner…but it’s hard with…other things.” She wanted to say kids and a family but they hadn’t quite addressed the fact that that is what they were. They were about to pick up a little girl who called them both mom but they hadn’t even made their relationship public. Clarke knew they were serious and that this was all very real but she wanted some validation from Lexa. She wanted to know that no matter what they were in this together for the long run.

Lexa could sense that Clarke was going through scenarios in her head that hadn’t happened yet. It was part of who Clarke was. She got an idea in her mind and you couldn’t convince her otherwise. She put the car in park and turned towards Clarke. “Soon, or one day, or something we can live in a place where we can have a hoard of dogs…or children running around.”

“Promise?” Clarke tried to make her voice sound like it was a joke but in her heart she needed Lexa to mean it with all her heart.

Lexa put out her pinky finger. “Promise.” Clarke wrapped their fingers together and tugged her in for a kiss. As they parted and unbuckled their seat belts, Lexa gave her a quick reminder, “You realize that if we add more to this we are never going to be alone again, let alone ever have sex again?”

Clarke shrugged her shoulders. “I’m going to need a month to recover from last night anyways so I say good riddance.” She got out of the car and walked around to Lexa’s side opening the door. Lexa’s face was a mix of pouting and sadness. “Oh please, knock that face off, we always have the office.”

“I like your thinking Ms. Griffin.” She grabbed at her sides and tickled her slightly as they wobbled together towards the door. Before they had a chance to knock, the door swung open to a very excited short blonde and three women giving them knowing looks. Anya wrapped them both in a hug that nearly sent them all spiraling to the floor.

“Squish, I’m going to need some oxygen back.” Clarke peeled the girl off of her and stepped inside. “I guess this means you had fun?” Anya’s face was a glow and she went off a mile a minute about what they did. Clarke nodded enthusiastically even though tie dying t-shirts wasn’t really ground breaking. “Okay..okay,” Clarke stopped her as she started to go off about the movie they watched. “Get your stuff and you can tell us all about on the way back home.”

“Gotcha!” She ran off like a streak of lightening and left the five women standing together again.

“Thank you so much for having her, she obviously had a great time.” Becky smiled at her but it wasn’t like a _you’re welcome any time_ it was more of _I know what you did last summer_. After a few awkward moments, Lexa excused herself to help Anya, leaving Clarke to fend for herself.

As soon as she turned the corner, Karen walked into Clarke’s space. “Okay spill!”

“Excuse me?” Becky got closer too, hands grabbing at Clarke’s.

“Come on honey. Bleary eyes, tangled hair, yesterday’s shirt and not to mention that shiner on your neck.” Clarke adjusted her shirt up trying to cover what they saw. Unfortunately, her shirt couldn’t cover her face that was getting exponentially redder by the second.

“Sweetie, no!” Karen grabbed the other free hand and pulled her into the living room. “Don’t be embarrassed. Why do you think we do these sleepovers? Jesus, half of us wouldn’t get laid without this crap. Between PTO, soccer, kids, and work there just isn’t time.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “I swear I haven’t had an honest to god orgasm in a year.” The other women concurred.

“We are happy for you and don’t think we didn’t see your little PDA in the car. You guys are so cute and innocent. I just want to wrap you up and put ya on my mantle.”

“Karen.” Becky looked at her incredulously. “We don’t say things like that out loud.”

“Right.” Karen confirmed. “Anyways, was it amazing? I need to know. Please let us poor devoid housewives live vicariously through you.”

Clarke was becoming a little uncomfortable but she knew it was all in good fun. They were gluts for gossip and them being interested in her life was like getting an invitation to the cool kid’s table. “You want the truth?” They nodded excitedly. “Best sex of my life. I literally feinted.” Their eyes became saucers and someone let out a gasp. Lexa chose this moment to come back in with all of Anya’s stuff packed and ready to go. The women turned back to her, eyes almost predatory. She wasn’t sure what was happening.

“Ready to go?” She asked slowly, trying to look away from the intense stares.

“Yes!” Clarke pushed past them to the door, saying her thank yous quickly. “Do you need any help?” Lexa was carrying the sleeping bag, back pack, and soccer bag.

“No I think my hands can manage it.”

“I bet they can.” Karen mumbled to the girls, causing them all to laugh. Clarke grabbed Lexa’s arm and led her out the door adding a _don’t ask_ as they got in the car. Anya talked the entire way home about the spectacular evening. Apparently, watching scary movies until five in the morning is super fun. When they got home, the all nighter caught up with all of them and they crashed on the couch while watching the morning news.

Lexa was the first to wake up at five and put some more blankets over the sleeping blondes who were huddled together. She grabbed her keys and left a note that she was going to get pizza for dinner. The drive to her favorite spot was quiet and peaceful, something she hadn’t had a lot of in a while. The twenty minute journey felt like hours as her mind raced through her life. In such a short period of time, she had changed more than in her entire life. As the light flickered from red to green, she decided that change wasn’t the best word for it. She wasn’t a different person. She didn’t wake up one day in a new body. All the parts of her deep down that had the capacity for this life and these emotions had never been brought out before. There was a key to unlock it and she thought it was lost a long time ago.

Even when it was just her and Clarke, they never had found the ability to move past the uncertainty and come together. She had resigned herself to the idea that Clarke wasn’t the right fit. She was wrong. Clarke was only half of what her soul needed. The other half came in the shape of a firey kid with a heart of gold. Separated, Clarke and Anya were just pieces of matter floating through space but together they became Lexa’s entire universe. They unlocked the life she never knew she wanted but now could never give up. That morning, she hadn’t woken up in a different body, but she was different. Complete. Whole.

Her arms became riddled with goosebumps as she contemplated what would have happened if she had never gone to the pier that day. It was unthinkable. One second changes your life. That concept had always been negative for her. In one second, her parents died. In one second, Costia’s car was hit. In one second, cancer took her mother. In one second, Damir never came home. All of these seconds had made the future unbearable but without them she may have never come to the one second where she jumped unknowingly into merky water to save a girl whose time card matched her own.

She put her car in park and walked into the pizzeria, wiping the few tears that threatened to come out. Walking up to the counter, she hit the bell. “One second.” A man yelled from the back. She smiled to herself at the sign from a higher power. She shook away all of the contemplation and focused back on the task at hand, bringing her girls some greasy goodness.

“Miss Woods.” A familiar voice drifted into her left ear. She turned and recognized the shorter black woman as the head of Cage’s team. She searched her brain for her name. It was something sporty. Ashley. Ali. Jess. The woman walked closer and Lexa finally reached it.

“Jay,” she said pleasantly. “How are you?” She reached out a hand and the woman shook it.

“I’m doing well. Taking some food back to the homestead?” The owner had come to the counter. He recognized Lexa and walked to the back to get her order.

“Yep. Nothing says lazy Sunday like pizza in your pajamas for dinner.” They both laughed.

“How’s campaigning, Cage still running you ragged?” Lexa handed the register boy her card and turned back to the woman.

Jay rocked on her heels, obviously frustrated. “I could get him President Obama here to endorse him and he wouldn’t be happy. I’m about ten seconds from voting for you too.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“No?” She walked closer and leaned against the counter. “He called me at three this morning asking about a numbers update. They don’t even get posted until Monday…Then, he called me incompetent and questioned the legitimacy of my degree. I have an MBA and a masters from Columbia.”

At this comment, Lexa took a step back. “Wait, you went to Columbia?” She threw her hands in the air dramatically. “I’m sorry but I don’t think I can be seen talking to you. My NYU folks would have me stripped of my degree.”

“I knew you went there but I wasn’t going to say anything because I thought we could be amicable, apparently I was wrong.” She cocked her head to the side and winked.

“I thought it was bad that you worked for Cage but this is wholly intolerable. Sir…” she signaled to the cashier. “…I don’t think I can be in the same establishment as this woman you are going to have to pick her or me.” The boy was petrified not sure if she was serious or not.

“Ummm…” he stuttered.

Jay threw her hands up as well and walked in front of Lexa to the counter. She urged the boy to come closer with her finger. “I work for the future mayor of New York, so you best know where your bread is buttered.”

Lexa pushed her away slightly. “…and I am the future mayor of New York.” They both waited for his response but when he looked like he was about to cry, they laughed together. “We are just joking kid,” Lexa quickly added. “Here.” She gave him her card again. “I will even pay for hers to show my sincerity.” He looked at her concerned but took the card anyways. Lexa put it back in her wallet as he went to get Jay’s pizza as well.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Consider it a peace offering.” She put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Or better yet consider it a condolence for having to work for such a tool of a boss.” They shared one last laugh before they both grabbed their pies to leave. Lexa unlocked her car and saw that the woman was headed back up town in heels. “Do you want a ride?” She offered.

“It’s not a conflict of interest?” She asked flirtily. She didn’t wait for a response before opening the handle to the passenger side.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.” Lexa added as she pulled out into the street. They moved slowly through the ten blocks back to the campaign headquarters. She pulled off into an alley and put the car in park.

“Here ya go.” She turned to wave the woman off but was surprised when she leaned in. Before lips could meet their destination, Lexa pushed at her shoulders. “Woah, no. I’m sorry if I gave off some indication that this was more than a kind gesture but I am in a relationship.”

Jay was completely embarrassed. “Oh my god, I am so sorry. I thought there was a vibe or something.” Lexa felt bad and put a hand on her shoulder.

“You are very beautiful and funny even though you make horrible choices in schools but I’m in something that is very serious and I would never want to compromise that.” Jay nodded in understanding.

“She’s a lucky girl,” she commented opening the door.

Lexa couldn’t help the smile forming on her mouth. “I’m the lucky one.”

She watched as the woman safely made it to the door. She really did feel bad for the girl. It was bad enough to work in politics. It was ten times worse when you don’t support the person you are campaigning for.

She drove off back to the loft and debated whether or not to tell Clarke about the incident that just occurred. All signs pointed towards yes but she wanted to do it after she fed the beast. It didn’t take ten seconds from walking off the elevator until she was attacked by hungry hands. They tore the box from her hand and swooped into the kitchen for napkins, finding plates too much of a hassle.

“I’m guessing you are famished?” Lexa said, hand still in the air holding an invisible pizza.

“Starving, mom.” “Yes, babe.”  They both said in unison.

Lexa walked into the kitchen and grabbed a slice for herself along with drinks that the animals forgot. She climbed over the paint supplies they still had out and sat down and watched whole slices disappear in seconds. “You know breathing is a thing humans do?”

Anya mumbled through a mouthful of cheese, “Bur err so huhgra.”

“Want to swallow and try that again?” Anya took a large gulp and grabbed the water to chug some of it too.

“We were so hungry.” She added dramatically, “We thought you left us here to starve.”

Clarke shook her head to agree. “What took so long?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you in a minute.” They finished up their food and Anya put on a movie while Clarke and Lexa brought the empty box and glasses into the kitchen.

“What did you want to tell me?” She opened the trash bag and folded the empty box into it.

Lexa turned on the sink and ran water through the glasses. “I ran into Cage’s campaign manager.”

“Jay?” Clarke added.

“Yes.” Lexa turned off the water and leaned against the counter. “She was also getting some food and we were talking and joking around. I ended up giving her a ride back to Cage’s office.” She stopped talking trying to word it best.

“Okay?”

“I think she got confused over our interaction and she kind of tried to kiss me.” Before Clarke could react Lexa started vomiting words. “She didn’t even get past the dash and I pushed her away and I was telling her no and that she misunderstood. I promise it was absolutely nothing.” Clarke let her finish a long string of ways of saying that nothing happened.

“Lexa, I trust you. I’m not happy that she didn’t realize you were in a relationship because we are still keeping this more private but I’m not upset.”

“Really? Because I already ordered flowers and ice cream.” Clarke walked over to her and grabbed her hand lacing their fingers together and bringing them up to chest level.

“I…” she kissed her hand. “…trust…” she kissed her cheek. “..you…” she kissed her lips.

Lexa grinned into the last kiss. “Can you repeat that again, I didn’t quite get it?”

“Parental Units you’re going to miss the beginning!” Clarke dragged their hands down the steps onto the couch where they wedged themselves on either side of the girl.

“Where’s the popcorn?” She asked.

“You just ate,” Lexa sad in disbelief. Anya pouted her lip and Lexa peeled off the couch back to the kitchen to get the kid’s order.

 

The week was surprisingly slow. They fell into a new routine of school, work, and soccer. As November came closer, Lexa had to go to more events. They finally got Sandy back from Gustus and from the outside they looked just like a nuclear family. This was very true on Wednesday night when Clarke got an email from the school.

Anya and Lexa were headed to the elevator to go to soccer practice. Before they made it all the way Clarke shouted after her, “Anya!” She walked towards the girl, ipad in hand. Anya knew the tone wasn’t promising so she turned around slowly, trying not to look guilty of anything.

“Ummm…yes ma?”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Clarke placed the device on the counter and folded her arms.

Anya pointed her thumb over her shoulder saying, “soccer practice?”

“Last time I checked you were a student athlete, not an athlete student.” Lexa took a few steps away from Anya knowing she did not want to pick sides in this debate.

“I am.” Anya didn’t know if it was a trick question.

“Your C+ in math would say otherwise.” Anya’s eyes became saucers. She thought she had time before the next report card to bring the grade up before they would notice.

“I…um…you see…what actually happened…umm…” Anya looked to Lexa for help who was conveniently looking at the ceiling. “I’ll study tomorrow,” she conceded.

Clarke half laughed to herself. “You’re funny. No, you’ll be studying with me tonight while your mom goes to practice.”

“That’s not fair!”

Clarke walked up closer and took her soccer bag and put it on the counter. “If you get a B on the test Friday you can go to the game Saturday.” There was no room for argument in her voice.

“Sis au ai.” _Help me_. Anya pleaded with Lexa.

“Nou na ge sis au yu.” _She cannot help you._

Lexa and Anya were both stunned by Clarke’s sudden language skills. “You’re not the only one who has been learning things.” She raised her eyebrows, cockily. “Now, you go get to practice and you come with me we have about eight million long division problems to do.”

Lexa reluctantly left. Anya made as much noise as possible walking into her room, grabbing her back pack and throwing it on the table. She got out her math books and nearly threw it off the edge when she slid it out. Clarke expected this but she still had to steel her face a bit to not crack for the kid.

She pulled up a seat and began scanning over the homework, praying she still remembered all of the rules. “Okay, let’s start with this first problem.”

They spent three straight hours doing math until Clarke couldn’t even tell the difference between a numerator and denominator let alone what happens when you cross multiply them. As they were cleaning up, Lexa walked through the door with ice cream. Anya took hers and turned to Clarke. “May I be excused now?” She asked with attitude. Clarke nodded and she went to her room, still slightly pouty.

Clarke took hers as well and propped her feet on the chair. Lexa set her cup down and began massaging Clarke’s shoulders. “That was rather strict of you.”

She rolled her head back resting on Lexa’s left arm. “I read in this yahoo article that apparently parenting is more than just arts and crafts, eating, and playing. You have to like punish them and make them learn too.”

“The audacity!” Lexa squeezed harder. “Here I thought it was all sunshine and rainbows.” Clarke didn’t respond, drifting off until hands left her shoulders. Lexa sat down across from her. “That was amazing tonight. You are a good parent.” Clarke beamed.

“Those are words I never thought someone would say to me.” She stood up and patted Lexa’s leg. “I’m going to go check on her.”

She knocked on the door and it peeled open. Anya was sitting on her bed feeding the dog some of her pistachio. “Can I come in?” The girl nodded.

She sat on the edge of the bed and straightened out the sheets out of habit. “I’m sorry if you think it wasn’t fair to make you stay home tonight.” Anya didn’t look at her, continuing to focus her attention on the dog. “School is really important and it wouldn’t be good to sacrifice your education for a game.”

After a few moments of silence Anya conceded. “I know…I’m sorry I was rude.” She finally made eye contact with Clarke. “You were just doing what’s best for me, that’s what moms do.”

Clarke smiled at the comment but wanted to mess with the kid. “You know I didn’t punish you yet for giving me attitude.”

“What?! I already missed practice,” Anya pleaded. Clarke stood up and walked farther up the bed and grabbed the ice cream and put it on the night stand.

“I think this is going to cost you…” She put her hand to her chin. “Twenty seconds of bear hug.” Before Anya could move away, Clarke was already on top of her tickling and squeezing all the air out. She picked her up and started counting backwards.

“Mom!!” Anya screamed out. “Save me!”

“Eighteen…seventeen…sixteen…” Clarke was counting unbearably slow still holding her for dear life. Lexa came to the door and just leaned on it, not helping at all.

“Sorry kid, that bear is way too big for me to handle.”

“Ma, I think she just called you fat.” Clarke cocked her head towards Lexa and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you calling me fat?” Lexa put her hands up as Clarke walked closer, child still in hand.

Lexa backed up slowly and tried to find a safe spot for the ice cream. “Clarke be rational here. It’s the kid you want.” Anya and Clarke gave each other a look before, the taller one set her down and they both ran after the brunette. Anya grabbed her feet and they all toppled on to the carpet.

“I brought you treats!” She yelled. Clarke pinned her with her legs while they both began tickling her. “Stop please, I’m going to pee my pants.” They didn’t relent though. Insult was added to injury as a wet snout began to rub at her face too.

Clarke leaned in really close to her ear to where Anya couldn’t hear her. “who’s a top now,” she whispered tauntingly. They continued tickling her until Lexa finally conceded.

“You are…you are. Please, just let me live.” They unpinned her and helped her up. “This whole tag team thing you got going on has to stop. You’re killing me smalls.”

“She started it.” Anya pointed to Clarke.

“Well I’m ending it. Go to bed...” Anya dragged her feet up the stairs. “…March! And don’t forget to brush your teeth.” The dog followed after and she waited until she heard water running and a door shut before moving from her position on the floor.

“That was a short talk, I’m guessing she isn’t mad.”

Clarke dragged her over to the couch and nuzzled into her side. “Not at all because that’s what mom’s do.” She put the last part in quotes. They turned on the tv and instantly regretted it. The gossip channel had a banner running on the bottom with Lexa’s name in it.

“What did that just say?” Clarke reached for the remote and turned it up.

“ _This just in, it may seem that Mayoral Candidate, Bachelorette and Billionaire Lexa Woods is not only off the market but in the enemy camp.”_ A picture of Jay getting into her car at the pizza place pulled up on the screen next to the reporter. “ _Pictured her is the campaign manager for Cage Wallace along with Miss Woods. This alone might not seem definitive but sources inside the restaurant said the two women were very flirty with one another. Another source at Wallace’s office said he saw the two kissing as one woman got out of the car.”_ The image kept on zooming in on each of their faces while the reporter droned on about body language.

Lexa looked over at Clarke who seemed frustrated more than angry. Her and Lexa barely ever went out in the same car together to events in town for this exact reason yet the one time she is with someone else it gets blown up into this.

“I’m sorry Clarke, I didn’t know there were cameras or that giving someone a ride would turn into this.”

“It’s fine,” Clarke lied. “At least she’s pretty and smart, right?” They both continued to watch what the reporter had to say.

“ _We are now accepting calls on our hotline. What do you think? Is Lexa’s dalliance in enemy territory okay or could she just be using this woman for intel for the campaign?”_

Lexa leaned back into the couch. “Well that’s insulting.”

“ _First caller what do you have to say? ‘Hi my name is Melanie and I think that Miss Woods has a long game with this one. She’s a pretty gal there should be plenty of people besides someone who works for your opponent. It just doesn’t sit right for me’.”_ Clarke squeezed Lexa’s leg as she felt her pulse pick up.

“ _Hello Caller what are your thoughts? ‘My name is Joe and I don’t think we need lesbos in office anyway-‘ sorry Joe it seems we got disconnected.”_

 _“_ Nothing like a bigot commenting on my personal life too.”

“ _My name is Karen and I’m actually not from inside New York.”_ Lexa and Clarke both perked up recognizing the voice. “ _I would just like to say I don’t think it is any of your business to speculate who Le…Miss Woods is in a relationship with. Furthermore, you have a picture of two women in a car together and are jumping to the conclusion of a relationship. I drove around today with my friend Becky all day, does that mean we are also sleeping together? I think that would be a hard blow to our husbands. I just think you should be worried about your own personal life and dare I say three divorces before you go commenting on someone elses.”_ Karen hung up before the woman could comment.

Clarke clapped her hands together. “Remind me to get her a really nice bottle of wine on Saturday.”

They sat through two or three more callers all of which had varying opinions on the subject. It was getting ridiculous. “I can’t watch this anymore. It’s bad enough I can’t talk about our relationship but for them to pair you up with all these people, it just sucks.”

 Lexa bit her lip, finally having enough. She got up and walked to the counter where her phone was sitting. “What are you doing?” Clarke asked.

“Ending this,” she said vaguely. She squinted her eyes at the number on the screen and began dialing.

“ _Yes we have a caller on the line.”_

 _“_ Hi, this is Lexa Woods.” It was strange hearing her voice on the tv. “As in the Lexa Woods, you are currently debating about.” The woman’s face went white on the screen. She composed herself quickly though.

“ _Ummm…okay Miss Woods, would you like to comment on the situation_?”

“Yes I would. The woman in the picture is in fact a member of Cage Wallace’s team and a friend of mine, nothing more.” She was about to hang up but Melanie got in another question.

“ _So you are not in a relationship with a campaign manager_?”

“That’s not what I said.” Clarke started to walk towards her, grabbing at the phone. “I said I wasn’t in a relationship with his campaign manager.”  She quickly climbed around the couch out of reach.

“ _But you are confirming you are in a relationship?”_

Lexa smiled at Clarke like she was the thing she was the most proud of. “Yes I am. I am in a relationship with the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world. Her name is Clarke Griffin…and if that name rings a bell it’s because she is _my_ campaign manager…and the CEO of my company…and my best friend. So, if you don’t want me sleeping on the couch tonight you should take down all of that crap about me and the enemy.” She hung up the phone and tossed it on the couch.

“What did you just do?” Clarke asked dumbfounded.

Lexa grabbed her hands. “You’re mine and I’m yours and we are together. We should never have to question that…and I really don’t want to ever turn the tv on again and see myself in a romantic picture that you aren’t in.”

Clarke pushed her back to sit on the couch and stood between her legs, hands grasping at the base of her neck. “God I lo…” she let the last word out as a gasp not really saying it at all. “You are really special.” She leaned down and kissed her hard. “But tomorrow is going to be a PR nightmare.”

Lexa swept her up in a bridal carry. “Then we better get a good night’s sleep.”


	23. Chapter 23

A/n so apparently this story is getting too boring because my own girlfriend said she hadn’t read the last updates ……. Guess I’ll have to crank it up a bit but for now here is just some pure fluff

 

“Twetny-five…oh wait, make that twenty-six.” Clarke read the number of emails that popped up on her phone.

“Ha…” Lexa shoved her phone in her face, “…thirty two emails and seven phone calls. I won’t count text messages though because forty of them are from Gustus alone.” Clarke laughed and knocked the phone out of her way.

“You brought this on yourself. I was perfectly happy to keep  you as my dirty little secret.”

Lexa wiggled her eyebrows at Clarke. “How dirty?’ She leaned over and laced her hand behind her neck to bring her into a kiss. Before she could deepen it, a knock came at the door. They put some space between them before telling the intruder to come in. It was a welcome visitor because they had gifts of coffee.

Anya walked to each side of the bed delivering a cup of coffee before jumping on the bed and squeezing between them. “What. Did. You. Guys. do?” She punctuated every word as she brought up her tablet. She scrolled across the local news that was littered with headlines from _Ten Things We Know About Clarke Griffin_ to _Mayoral Race Heating Up in a Place You Won’t Expect._ Clarke grabbed the tablet when she spotted a particularly jarring headline.

“Who even comes up with this shit?”

“Language.” The other two bed companions said in unison.

“Fine.” Clarke rolled her eyes. “Who even comes up with this crap? Seriously, someone gets paid to write the trashiest or click worthy head line. Like this one…” She pointed to a TMZ link that had the picture of them after ice cream. “… _Clarke Griffin and Lexa Woods: America’s Will and Kate or Bill and Monica?_ I’m Clarke Griffin and even I want to click this.”

“No,” Lexa took the device and turned it off. “We know who we are and what we are. There is going to be some damage control but we aren’t doing anything wrong, no matter what they say.” She reached over the blonde squished between them and squeezed Clarke’s shoulder reassuringly.

“I know, I know. I just hope this blows over quickly so we can get back to normal.” She took a large gulp of her coffee, appreciating the fact that Anya knew exactly how she liked it.

“Sorry mama, but we will never be normal.” Clarke looked over the brim of her cup with furrowed brows. “Let me rephrase,” Anya cleared her throat. “We can’t be normal and ordinary because we are extraordinary.”

Lexa threw the blankets off her legs on top of Anya’s face. “Nice save kid.” Anya huffed as she patted the comforter out of her face. Lexa stood up and stretched her arms out, coffee threatening to spill as it floated in the air. Yawning, she brought the cup to her mouth, finishing it off. She put it on the night stand and turned back to the bed putting one knee on the mattress. “I have to get off to work because I need to answer at least half of these before my meeting tonight.”

“Oh crap, I completely forgot about that.” Lexa had to take a jet to one of their partners in Maine and was going to be gone for the day. “I’ll take Anya to school and then deal with whatever you didn’t get to when I come in. We got this right?” Her voice wasn’t exactly confident.

“Yes, we’ve got this.” Lexa put her hands on the bed for leverage and leaned over Anya’s head again to peck Clarke on the mouth. She pulled back smiling, tasting a bit of the cinnamon Clarke liked in her coffee.

“Ew.” Anya rolled her eyes. Lexa nodded her head down and Clarke got the message. They both attacked the girl from either side placing kisses on her cheeks. “No! No! No!” She started to squirm but couldn’t help herself from laughing. They finally let her go and she dramatically wiped her face off. “You’re embarrassing.”

“You still love us,” Lexa threw over her shoulder as she walked to her closet to get changed.

Anya put her hand to her cheek and let her finger rest over the last spot they kissed her. She smiled to herself, completely happy. “Yeah, yeah I do,” she conceded. Clarke couldn’t help the toothy smile that she reserved for the little girl. She reached out and wrapped the blonde into her arms and placed a final kiss to her head.

“I love you squish.”

Anya nuzzled her mess of hair under Clarke’s chin and closed her eyes. “I love you too, Mama.”

Lexa stepped out of her closet and wished she had her phone so she could snap a picture of her girls. She just stared for a second before realizing everyone was going to be late. “Okay you two, up or you aren’t going to make it to school.”

Lexa grabbed a granola bar from the counter and made her way to the parking garage where Indra was waiting. She usually opened her phone in the elevator but she didn’t even want to look at it. There were going to be more emails and texts, none of which she wanted to answer. The chrome doors opened and she sauntered over to the black SUV and hopped in.

She buckled up and waited for Indra to move but nothing happened. She looked over and was caught off guard as Indra was staring directly at her with an evil grin on her face. “You couldn’t have waited two more weeks to go public?”

“Uhhh…” Lexa nervously shoved a piece of granola in her mouth and began munching.

“I lost a hundred bucks because of you nerds.” She put the car in drive and pulled out of the garage. “Next time, I’m going to need you to give me the inside information…for old time’s sake.”

Lexa quickly swallowed her bite, coughing a bit as it scratched her throat. “There will not be a next time, Indra.”

“Really now? Then, maybe you could clue me on when you plan on proposing. That could be worth some money.” Lexa threw the last piece of food over the dash hitting Indra’s shoulder.

“I haven’t even told her I love her,” Lexa admitted.

“What?” This genuinely surprised Indra. “You guys are connected at the hip and have a child who openly calls you mom.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love her. I do. I want to spend my life with her but every time I go to say it, it doesn’t feel like enough. When I say it, I want her to know that I’m not saying it just because we have been living this fairytale. Everything has been so extreme and intense, it could come off that I am just saying it to say it…but I don’t want that. I want it to be like the first time anyone ever said to another person that they loved them. That powerful and real.” Lexa was animatedly moving her hands while looking out the window, getting lost in her monologue.

Indra playfully made a gagging noise. “You are sickeningly in love. I haven’t seen you like this in a long time.”

“I haven’t felt like this in a long time, not since Co…” She let the name fall off.

Indra didn’t need her to say it. “I know….Regardless, I am so proud of everything you are and who you have become. She would be proud too.”

Every once in a while they had moments like this, brief minutes where they allowed themselves to remember and keep her alive. For some reason, this felt different. There wasn’t a weight of sadness over their conversation. It felt light like she was right there with them. “You know it’s crazy because I swear Anya has the same laugh.”

Indra stopped the car suddenly and looked over. “I thought I was the only one who noticed that!” she said excitedly. “It’s that chuckle th-”

“That turns into a snort,” Lexa finished, her nose curling up as she laughed. “Indra it’s the exact same. Anya even does that thing where she bites on her lip while she snorts so you can only see the top row of teeth. I’m telling you the first time I saw it I had to do a double take.”

Indra began moving again and reached her hand across the dash, patting Lexa’s hand, “I missed that laugh…it’s nice to have it back.”

They continued in silence, hands still locked together. Indra pulled up to the front and put the car in park. Lexa didn’t move to get out, always enjoying their time together. Instead, she leaned over and rested her head on Indra’s shoulder.

“You know, I couldn’t wait to be your daughter in law,” Lexa admitted, letting out a small sigh.

Indra adjusted so Lexa’s head fell under her chin. “Lex, you will always be my daughter in la-‘ she corrected herself, “…daughter. You will always be my daughter.” Indra placed a kiss on her forehead, just like Clarke had done to Anya.

“Promise,” Lexa asked like a child.

“Yes princess. Now get out of my car, I will see you in an hour, we’ve got a girls day in Maine waiting for us.” Indra pushed her arm out, shooing her out of the car. As Lexa walked in front of the car and skipped up the steps Indra watched and just shook her head. “You’re too pure for this world,” she laughed to herself, shifting gears and driving off.

Lexa climbed the front steps and headed to the elevator. She felt rejuvenated from her moment with Indra. Her chest was literally hurting because she was so happy and at peace, two things she never had much of in the past. The elevator opened to the ninth floor and she walked off. Her chipper demeanor distracted her from the silence she was walking through. There were phones ringing and clicking noises but no people were talking. She passed the rows of cubicles before realizing something was off. She kept her hands her in her pocket and back tracked to the front. People were standing around their desks just staring at her. She was pretty sure the hipster in the blue button in front of her had his file upside down.

She turned to the receptionist who was also staring, not answering the phone. “Is there something going on?” She asked bluntly. No one moved. She raised her voice a little louder. “Is this a place of work or are you all just going to stare?” A few people continued their work but the dark haired receptionist continued to just stare wide eyed.

Lexa walked over to her and took her hands out of her pocket, placing them behind her back. “Gabs, the phone’s ringing.” She nodded to the blinking light on the girl’s desk. “Are you going to answer it?” The young receptionist nodded her head adamantly and picked up the phone giving the Woods Inc greeting. Lexa had hired the girl as a summer intern because she was Indra’s cousin’s brother’s niece, or something to that affect. She did a great job but the only reason she wanted to come to New York was because some conspiracy babble about a machine and the government.  

Lexa turned back around and once again people were staring instead of working. “Okay, what in the world is wrong with everyone today?” Gabs hung up the phone and cleared her throat to get Lexa to turn around.

“Well, Miss Woods, we are just so excited that you two finally made everything public.” Her voice was squeaky and that last part came out as a mumble.

“If everyone was so excited, why do they keep staring at me like I have a ‘kick me’ sign on my back?”

“They just want to know who won the pool,” she said excitedly.

“The pool?” Lexa narrowed her eyes.

Gabs unconsciously backed her seat up a few inches. “ummm….the pool…the money pool…aboutwhenyoutwowerefinallygoingtogettogether.” She said it so fast that Lexa almost didn’t hear all of the words.

Lexa bit her tongue and rolled her eyes. She put her hands on the counter and slapped it a little before pushing off towards the middle of the cubicles. As she walked, she grabbed an empty chair and began dragging it with her. She put it at about the center and stood on it, putting two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. Anybody who was actually doing work stopped along with the people who hadn’t been doing anything to begin with.

Lexa waited until the last tick on a keyboard could be heard. “Listen up.” Her voice sounded like she was about to call them all to war. She could see a buildup of fear in the eyes of those closest to her. “None of you scoundrels are making a penny off of this. I will make it my mission that none of you know when Clarke and I…your bosses…got together.” There were several moans and _damn its_ echoing through the room.

“July 23rd,” A familiar voice shouted. Lexa looked over and Clarke was walking down the hallway with Anya behind her.

“Clarke!” Lexa’s nose flared and she was pretty sure she was about to lose her eyes behind their socket. She threw her hand in front of her and sighed.

“I win!” A scrawny blonde computer tech was pumping his fists in the air. Lexa gave him her worst death eyes and he slowly put his arms down. Several of his coworkers stepped in front of him, protecting him from any objects that might fly out of their bosses hands.

Lexa kept standing there annoyed as Clarke walked back towards the elevators, dragging Anya along by the hand. “You’re supposed to be at school already!” She yelled in their general direction.

A fleeting hand waved a green object in the air. “Forgot her homework folder in my office!” She heard faintly.

Lexa looked around at all the faces trying not to crack into smiles. “Not a word,” she warned, hopping off of the chair and begrudgingly dragging it back to its place. “She’s going to get it later,” Lexa mumbled to herself.

“I’m sure she is,” a brave soul muttered behind her. Before Lexa could turn around and show them why they called her Heda, Gustus walked around the corner.

“The pile of job applicants on my desk would love to be doing what you all are _not_ doing,” he barked. There was an instant bustle and everyone reorganized to their actual work.

“Good morning, Heda. It has been so long since we have talked. Anything new happening in your life?” Lexa slumped her shoulders and ignored his condescension laden question, walking past him towards her office.

“Let’s get this over with now,” she opened the door and quickly slumped into her chair. She brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose and rubbed, hoping the action would magically make her father disappear.

He loomed over her desk. Placing his arms behind his back he simply said, “You made the right choice, I am happy for you.” Lexa’s hand stopped its motion and fell limply in front of her face. She readjusted herself in her chair because there was no way those words came out of her father’s mouth.

“Izgovor ai?” _Excuse me._

“Ai…hapo…yu…za.” He exaggerated each word as he said it.

“No, I got that part.” Lexa leaned hopped out of her desk and walked over to him, leaning her back against her desk. She held her hands up in front of her and said, “But you also said ‘I was right’” using air quotes to bring home her point.

Gustus rolled his eyes. “I said you made the right choice.”

“Same difference.”

“Do you want me to take it back?” Lexa put her palms out surrendering the conversation. “You have done things naively and without telling me before and I have thought I was going to have to murder the world to protect you…” Gustus swelled with pride as he looked down at his daughter. “…but you don’t need my protection anymore, Heda…” He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. As he pulled away, he said,“…You are such a strong and brilliant woman.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my father?” Lexa laughed.

“I’m an alien from the seventh galaxy who has come to take over the world.” He widened his eyes and began to open and close his mouth and move his arms up in down like he was possessed.

Lexa grabbed the arm and spun it around towards the door, dragging him along with her. “Well, before you annihilate the human race, why don’t you buy me breakfast?”

“Mission accepted,” he said robotically. Lexa stopped halfway down the hall and huffed.

“I can’t go to breakfast I have a million and one emails to answer.”

“Oh that’s the other thing I meant to tell you.” Gustus pulled out his phone and scrolled to his sent emails. “If you would have answered any of my fifty-two messages you would know I have taken care of that as well.”

Lexa grabbed his arm and used it for support as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank God! I could murder a stack of pancakes right now.” They left the office and headed out to a secret hole in the wall diner they had been going to for years.

Gustus dropped Lexa off at the airport with Indra and returned to the office. He pulled his car into one of the executive parking spots and got out at the same time as Clarke.

“Plavusa won, you have caused quite a bit of trouble today,” he smiled at her broadly, opening the door to the hallway.

Clarke didn’t like that nickname only because it always seemed to have a hint of condescension to it. Still, she could never tell if his tone was playful or derogatory but she always went along with it. “It was getting slow around here so I needed something to do.” She pulled out her phone and began scrolling through it while Gustus hit the elevator button. “Thank you for taking care of the brunt of it. Lexa said that you basically answered every news outlet within a thirty mile radius.”

“Anything for my girls.” Clarke looked up surprised at the towering man whose eyes were fixed forward. She was about to say something when the door opened and another person standing inside surprised her more. It took a few moments before the man in the tight suit with greased hair noticed her.

“Clarke?” Months of history flashed before Clarke’s eyes and she couldn’t move. A reassuring hand fell at her back and moved her into the elevator. She walked slowly, eyes still fixed on the nightmare from her past.

As the doors slammed, it brought her to her senses and she was finally able to mutter out, “Finn?”

Clarke didn’t need this today. She didn’t need it ever. If the door wasn’t closed and the thousand pound  box not moving to its destination, she would have pried open the doors and jumped out.

“Clarke freakin Griffin. It has been a long time.” He swiped his hand through long brown hair and crossed his arms. Clarke was facing the back, towards him so she was able to make brief eye contact with Gustus who was facing front. He could tell she was uncomfortable but he did not want to intercede without her permission. She gave him an imperceptible nod that meant _I can handle this_.

“Finn,” she said shortly. “What brings you here?”

“Job interview, trying to move up in the world.” His face twisted into a sick grin and he leaned cockily on the back wall. “I heard you’re moving up in the world too…the only way you know how of course.” The way he said it made Clarke shutter.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Her face was already getting red and her pressure was rising. She wasn’t sure if his presence made her want to kill someone or cry but she was on the brink of some major emotion.

“Come on Princess…it’s all over the news.” She shuttered again at his old nickname for her. Bile started to even come up in her throat.

“Don’t,” she warned.

He didn’t listen. “Sleeping your way to the top like old times…” he moved a bit closer, lowering his voice. “I bet Abby’s proud.” Clarke was about to launch but before she could do something Gustus had hit the button for the floor a few before theirs, and the door opened.

“Miss Griffin, your stop, I believe you have an appointment with HR. I will let your assistant know that you will be late.” He held his arm out, keeping the door open. “Miss Griffin,” he repeated. Clarke was frozen, glaring at the unprofessional ass of a human in front of her.

“Thank you,” she peeled her eyes off of Finn’s smarmy grin and nodded her head to Gustus.

“See you around Prince- “ the door hadn’t closed all the way but his voice was cut off for some reason. Clarke shook herself out a little bit trying to gain control back. She walked the few feet to the stairwell and started walking them aggressively to her floor. She went through the old mantras she used after her time with Finn. _I am powerful. I am in control. I make my own decisions._ She repeated it with each step, falling into a rhythm until she hit her floor.

She opened the door calm, but slightly out of breath. She had seen that Finn was going to a few floors above them and braced herself as she walked past the elevator to her office. She didn’t think she would beat them but luck hadn’t been in her favor today.

She took the next few steps quickly but the ding of the elevator came before she could clear the area. She heard a gasp from a person behind her waiting and, against her better judgement, turned in that direction.

Gustus walked out of the elevator with his suit jacket now thrown across his arm, and his sleeves rolled up. There was a bead of sweat that fell down his forehead and got lost in his beard. Clarke took a step forward and looked around him to see a person slumped in the back of the elevator. His legs were splayed out and his head was resting back on the bar, blood pooling from his nose.

Gustus turned to the secretary and simply said, “Please call maintenance our elevator stalled on the way up and the gentleman fell into the door. He will probably need medical attention.” He turned to Clarke who was still staring wide eyed at the elevator. “Miss Griffin, how was your meeting with HR?”

The elevator doors closed with patrons going down and Clarke was no longer distracted. “Gustus…what happened?”  She asked, not believing his story.

“I told you Plavusa won, no one messes with my girls.” He smiled the way he did with Lexa and grabbed her in to a very disproportionate side hug.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two things:  
> First of all, there is some violence in this chapter so if it triggering, I apologize. No one dies or gets injured but there is aggression. I promise it will still end in strengthening of the clexa relationship.
> 
> Second, the only reason you are getting this chapter and the rest of this story is a lovely person, Camila, who reminded me that even if I’m not entirely happy with the product, putting it out in the universe is better than keeping it in.
> 
> And to Camila’s friend Roberta, this chapter is dedicated to you. I hope you enjoy it!

 

_ Ten Years Ago _

_ “I can’t run anymore,” the woman stopped herself. She doubled over, hands on her knees, heaving for oxygen. _

_ The man, a few paces ahead of her, quickly backtracked, placing a tender hand on her back. “We have to keep moving. I don’t think we lost them.” The blonde woman looked up to him, eyes tired and worn. _

_ “I can’t,” she cried. “Take her, go on without me.” She lifted up the bundle in her hands.  _

_ “I will never leave you.” He took their daughter in his hands. “I will carry her for the rest of the way but we have to go, my love.” _

_ “What if they find us anyways?” _

_ He looked down at the small child, sleeping in his arms. She had no idea of the danger they were in. “Then I will protect our family with every breath I have left.” She didn’t know what was going to happen but she trusted him. After a few steadying breaths, she stood tall and they continued on through the dark woods. _

The universe works in mysterious ways. Sometimes it would seem that in all of it there is some kind of plan or design. Sometimes simultaneous events bleed together and change the world forever. Sometimes a destiny couldn't happen any other way. 

In a dark room, Cage Wallace looked out his window at the fading sun. He rolled his fingertips over his legs, waiting patiently for the call. A few minutes passed and his phone screen lit up. 

“Talk to me,” he said coldly. 

“It doesn’t look good, sir. Every outlet in the state has picked it up.” His useless campaign manager began rattling off numbers and figures all pointing towards his demise. If the polls were accurate he would lose in a landslide. 

“That’s enough,” he stopped her as she tried to give him one last strategy. 

“Sir?” she questioned. 

“That will be all.” He hung up the phone without hearing her response. He turned his chair back around and slammed the oak desk hard, reddening his hand. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. At every turn, Lexa had out done him where she should have failed. 

He unlocked his phone again, hovering over his last resort. An image of his father telling him he was worthless flashed in his head and he quickly hit call. The line was picked up instantly. “Do it.” The message was received and he turned back to look at the city, his city. There was no going back now. 

 

“Anya you have to sit and eat at least one bite of your food,” Clarke instructed. The girl rolled her eyes, took a bite of the end of her pizza and ran back to a room on the other side of the restaurant full of games.  

Clarke gave up, turning to continue her conversation. “You didn’t have to take us here just because of Anya. She doesn’t need to always be entertained.”

“Are you kidding? Look at that,” she was pointing to where a short brunette was aggressively hitting moles with a mallet. “Octavia is having more fun than her.”

“Touché.” She grabbed Anya’s unfinished piece and began eating it. “Did I tell you that I ranintoFinntoday.” She said it so fast with half masticated food that Raven almost didn’t pick it up.

“Care to repeat that? Because it sounded like you said you ran into Finn today, which is impossible because that piece of shit should be in a shallow grave.” Blue eyes avoided brown and continued to eat. “Clarke,” she warned.

“He came by for an interview for the company. We shared an elevator.” She made it sound like it was simple, like she ran into an old neighbor.

“And?

“And Gustus broke his nose.” Clarke couldn’t suppress the smile forming on her face.

“I knew I liked that guy…even though he is big and broody and doesn’t seem to like anyone else.”

“He grows on you.”

Raven was waiting for more of a story but Clarke didn’t have anything else to say. She moved on to other matters. “How is the wedding planning going? Last I heard we changed the date…again.”

“It’s miserable. I don’t know how I got drafted as the maid of honor duties when that should be your job. Octavia is too ADD for all of this. She would much rather just go down to the courthouse and sign a piece of paper.”  

“Sorry I’ve been so MIA. Between the election and the company…an-”

“…shacking up with your boss and having a kid?” Raven interrupted.

Clarke rolled her eyes. “We are consenting adults who are in a relationship.”

“With a kid.”

“It’s more complicated than that.” Clarke was about to try and explain out her life when the kid in question walked over again.

“Mama, can I have five more bucks? I’ll do my chores early.” She batted her eyes and Clarke reluctantly reached into her purse for more money. With a peck on the cheek, Anya was away again to beat Octavia in a dance off.

“You were saying?” Raven crossed her arms and gave her  _ the look _ . “So when is your wedding?”

“Don’t even joke…we haven’t even said ‘I love you’,” she admitted quietly.

“No way, I’ve seen you two. You say I love you all the time…it might not be out loud, but an idiot can see it.” Raven could see that Clarke looked unsettled. She was holding something back. “Is there a reason you haven’t said it? Do you  _ not _ love her?”

“God no! I love her. I’ve never loved someone so much in my life. Besides…” she looked over at Anya who was laughing hysterically. “We’ve just done everything so backwards that casually saying it doesn’t seem right. I want to say it at the perfect moment, you know?”

Raven laughed out loud. “I don’t know. I told Bellamy I loved him three weeks in…during sex.” Clarke’s nose scrunched up in disgust. “Yeah, I was  _ that _ girl.”

“I’m lucky I haven’t said it during sex.”

“That good?” 

Clarke mimed a mind explosion. “I didn’t know you could even…do some of the things she does.”

“And you didn’t let it slip in your post coital bliss?” Raven took another large drink of her beer.

“If I could form words, I probably would have.” She sighed deeply. “I just want it to be perfect.”  

“Honey, if you wait till it’s perfect, you’ll never say it. Loving someone is about the imperfect. You  _ like  _ them for all of their great ‘perfect’ qualities. You  _ love  _ them because they have all this ‘imperfect’ crap too...but you want to be around them anyways.”

“You’re saying I should just tell her?”

“Clarke, you share a child, a company, and basically a home. For the love of God, tell her.”

Clarke lifted up her cup in cheers. “I should pay you instead of my therapist.” They clinked glasses together and finished off what was left. “Come on,” Clarke patted her leg to get out of the both. “We can’t let them have all the fun.”

 

In an airplane over the city, Lexa couldn’t stop tapping her foot on the floor and Indra was about to tape it down. “Child, cease and desist or I’m throwing you out the door.” The brunette gave her an apologetic smile and stopped. She instead began fidgeting with her fingers, a movement that wasn’t any less disquieting. “What’s wrong?” Indra asked. 

“Nothing,” she answered to quickly. 

“I’m going to count to three…”

“When did they say we would land?” she asked Indra for the sixth time.

“Fifteen minutes. Stop avoiding the question.” Indra knew why she was anxious about something. Earlier that day, while they were walking through the airport to the meeting, a man held a sign for his girlfriend returning from deployment. They stopped to watch the beautiful scene which turned even sweeter when he dropped the sign, pulled out a ring and proposed. Indra could see the gears ticking in Lexa’s head. For the rest of the day, she was antsy to get home. She went so far as to postpone the signing of the new trade agreement everyone was there for.  

Lexa looked at her beaming. “I’m going to do it.”

“It?”

“Tell Clarke I love her,” she looked out the window, relieved to almost be on the tarmac.

Indra rolled her eyes.  _ These two idiots _ , she thought. “You just delayed a trade agreement you’ve been working on for five months to tell Clarke you love her?  Something she already knows.”

“Yes.”

“Gustus is going to kill you,” Indra bit down on her pretzels indignantly.

“As long as he does it after I tell her, that’s fine.” The plane’s bottom shook as the wheels were released. After a few minutes of descending steadily, everything rocked as they hit the asphalt. Lexa grabbed all of her things, anxious to get to Clarke.  

“I hope we get stuck in traffic,” the woman joked, reaching for her own things.

“Shopof, Indra.”

 

On the ground, Clarke was about to defeat Anya to be the Dance Dance Revolution champ. She crossed her legs on the pink arrows, twisted around twice, and pumped her fist in the air like the avatar in the game. It started to go faster and the kid couldn’t keep up. She missed one step and was completely done for. Clarke focused hard finishing out the set with only missing three movements.

“Bow before me!” She shouted, slipping her heels back on.

“You beat a child,” Anya said annoyed. “That’s hardly fair.”

“Correction,” Clarke booped her nose, “I  _ destroyed _ a child.”

Raven and Octavia were on Anya’s side. “Wait till she’s at least fifteen, then it’ll be a fair fight.” Clarke took the tickets that were coming out of the machine and handed them over to the blonde.

“Here, go get a prize.”

Anya looked at her outstretched hand, but didn’t reach for the tickets. “Really?” She crossed her arms. “You think this makes up for all of the psychological damage you just put me through? Kids who fail early in their life are more likely to grow up to be failed adults.”

“Seriously?” Clarke glared. “Fine, ice cream?” Anya immediately perked up, taking the tickets as well.

“Thanks Mama!” She ran off to get her cheap prize that cost a one hundredth of what they spent to earn those tickets. Clarke’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she smiled when a familiar contact pulled up.

“Hey!” She walked to a quiet part of the room.

“ _ Hey,”  _ Lexa tried to muffle the sounds of the engine in the background. “ _ You done with dinner? I’m about to get on the plane from Maine.”  _ She lied, wanting to surprise her family.

“We are finishing up at Mickey’s. Then headed to get ice cream.”

_ “What did you do wrong?” Lexa laughed. _

Clarke was aghast that she would have to commit a crime to treat Anya. “I’m a fun person, damn it. I can get ice cream without there being a reason.” The line was silent. She knew she wasn’t getting out of it. “Fine, I kicked our daughter’s ass in DDR and she’s mad.” ‘our daughter’ was out of her mouth before she could correct herself.

Lexa nearly had a heart attack right then and there. She had to stop moving or risk actually collapsing. In an instant, it felt like the world was changing. She wasn’t an ‘I’ anymore; she was a ‘we’…an ‘our’.

“ _ Tell,  _ **_our_ ** _ daughter to stop being a sore loser.” _

Clarke shouted for Anya to come over. The kid had a weird looking stuffed animal in her hand and a Chinese finger trap. “Your mom says stop being a sore loser.”  __

“She did not!” Clarke handed the phone down and Lexa repeated the message. “And to think I was going to bring you some ice cream home.” Anya shook her head in disappointment.

“Grab your coat and we can still make it,” Clarke conceded, taking the phone back. “You still there?”

“Yep.”

“If I’m asleep when you get home, wake me up. I have something I want to talk with you about.”

“Sounds good, bye.” Lexa was giddy that it might be the last time she had to end talking with Clarke without saying three words she wanted to say for a long time. 

They paid their bill and parted ways with Octavia and Raven. As a thank you, Anya conceded her stuffed animal to her playmate for the evening. She kept the finger trap, getting it out putting her index finger in it. She squeezed the paper and slipped it on Clarke’s as well. When she pulled, it wouldn’t come off, linking them together. “This is better than a leash,” Clarke commented. They swung their hand together only a few blocks from the promised treats. Clarke felt a tingling on the back of her neck but brushed it off as just the wind.

They crossed the street and continued down when she felt it again. She reached in her purse for her pepper spray when quick hands encompassed her eyes. “What th-“

She was about to elbow the assailant in the stomach when Anya yelled, “Mom!” Clarke swung around, ripping her finger from the trap. She couldn’t be happier in life to see those green eyes.

“Hey,” she wrapped the woman in a hug, ending it with a kiss. “I thought you hadn’t left Maine yet.”

 

**Trigger Warning**

 

“I lied…wanted to surprise you.” She was about to say something else we she spotted a dark van parked up in the street ahead of them. A few men were standing on the sidewalk next to it, hands in their pockets conspicuously. Lexa squinted her eyes  and didn’t like their demeanor, especially at this time of night. The street light didn’t reveal much but she could tell something was off.

“Lexa what’s wron-“ Lexa pulled both of their hands back in the other directions. 

“I don’t know yet.” She glanced behind her shoulder briefly and thought she was just being paranoid because they hadn’t moved. “Let’s go home. It’s late.” As she said this, she noticed one of the men walking down the opposite street in their direction. He made eye contact with Lexa and grinned, two gold teeth flashing at her. There wasn’t another person in sight or a car for that matter. Something wasn’t right. 

“Run!” she pushed their backs hard, forcing them along. Clarke reached out for Anya’s hand and grabbed it as they pushed ahead. Lexa glanced back again, and her fears were confirmed. The men were running after them as well. Lexa had to jog her memory of where exactly they were. She took in the apartments they were passing and quickly put together a route to get them somewhere more public. 

They turned left down an alley that connected to the street over, splashing through puddles and mud. Lexa tuned into the noises behind them, trying to gauge how much distance they had. Every foot, the men drew closer. They had maybe a forty yards on them which wouldn’t be enough to escape. Down the end of the street, she made a split decision and veered right into an alley that went straight through and had an exit point to the right. Hearing the shouts get closer she quickly took away a cardboard box that was propped against the dumpster and pushed Anya and Clarke into the space.

“Stay here.” 

“No,” Clarke begged, breathless. 

Lexa leant over and grabbed Anya’s shoe. Turning around, she launched down the alley. “Clarke, she is the most important thing. Whatever happens, you keep her safe.” She punctuated every word. The voices were close and Lexa made her peace, replacing the cardboard box making sure nothing could be seen.  

She looked at her surroundings and tried to find something to fight back with. There wasn’t enough time though and the three men were in front of her.

“Where’d they go,” the tallest man spat, his gold teeth visible again. He was wearing typical hit man clothes, all black with a hat on.

“They kept running.” Lexa pointed down the alley.

The man nodded to his colleague and a guy with glasses went to check it out. He didn’t get far before he found the white sneaker. “I got the kids shoe….looks like they were headed west. Want me to go after them?” Gold teeth shook his head no. 

“What are you, their bodyguard?” the man questioned. Lexa was surprised there was someone in New York who didn’t know who she was.

“Lexa Woods.” She glanced quickly to the side and was relieved there was no way they would be able to see the girls. “And you are?”

“Ain’t this peachy.” He gave her the same sick grin. “Boss just wanted us to scare the kid but we might be able to take care of the whole problem right now.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a 9mm. Lexa breathed deeply, trying to keep herself balanced. She put up her hands, not giving him any reason to pull the trigger.

The third, and shortest guy, hit his boss's arm. “Man, this wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Shut up.” He shoved his elbow into the guy’s side and walked closer to Lexa. “You’ve caused quite the headache for my employer…I wonder how much extra he’ll pay if I kill you right here and now.”

Lexa squared her shoulders, refusing to be intimidated. “If you kill me, will my family be safe?” Clarke wanted to jump out from her hiding place but a quiver from Anya made her realize her number one priority. “Will they be safe?” she repeated.

“I can’t guarantee anything,” he licked his lips. “Your girlfriend’s got a nice rack.” She wanted to attack. If there wasn’t a gun in her face, she would have already tackled him to the ground. He began cackling, waving his gun a little bit for show. She looked around again for something, anything. As she was about to resign herself to death, she noticed a piece of rebar settled against the wall. If she had a chance at surviving that was it.

She needed the guy behind her to be beside her or she wouldn’t be able to defend her back. She tried to coerce him over. “If he kills me for more money, what’s that going to stop him from killing you to keep it all?” The oaf laughed at her insinuation. He walked over and pulled up his sleeve showing off a black gang tattoo of two ‘M’ crossed over each other to form a mountain.

“We’re Mountain Men…we don’t betray each other.”

“Idiot,” the gun was now pointed away from her. “You just told her who we are…good thing she won’t live long enough to tell anyone else.”

“Good thing,” Lexa mumbled before launching herself at the rebar. She let her body take over the movements, leaving overthinking out of the equation. She swung her arm back, knocking the gun out of his hand as it went off. The stray bullet nailed glasses in the knee. He reached down in pain and she used his bent leg as a stepping stool to jump towards the other two. The tibia broke under her foot and she heard more cracking as the bar made contact with the shortest man’s face.

The leader reached for her arm but she was already a move ahead of him, throwing her elbow back into his face. She made contact and he reeled, stumbling into the brick wall. The other two tried to encroach on her again but she swung the rebar up, shattering his glasses and then over into the short guy’s stomach. She fisted her hands together and brought them down on his back, making him collapse into the ground.

She threw the bar down and used her hand to encompass the boss’s throat. She shoved him hard against the wall, his bleeding nose dripping on her hand. “Who sent you?” Even though she was breathing hard, her words were calm and succinct. Rain started to sprinkle down, each drop cold on her hot face. 

“Go to hell.” She stepped back and punched him in the face again, causing him to collapse onto his ass, feet sprawled out.

“Cage,” the man with a broken leg spit out between exasperated breaths. “It was Cage.”

Sirens started to sound in the distance. Clarke must have called them from their hide out. Seconds later, police and an ambulance were pulled up on the street. Officers approached, guns out. When the men were in cuffs, Lexa pulled away the cardboard. Anya propelled herself at her, wrapping her in the tightest hug she had ever received. 

Clarke’s cheeks were stained black with mascara. Lexa cupped her face whispering that it was going to be alright. The blonde grabbed her hand and didn’t want to let go. For Lexa, the relief from being safe was soon replaced by uncontrollable anger. They were led out of the alley by some officers who were looking at them, surprised they were absent of any injuries. 

Lexa started to give a statement but was distracted when Indra’s black SUV pulled up on the curve. She excused herself and caught the shorter woman in her arms. She reassured her that they were fine. Over Indra’s shoulder, Lexa watched as the leader gave her another grin, this time missing a gold tooth. He mouthed what looked like ‘soon’ to her. Her blood went cold and then hot. 

“Indra I need you to call Gustus to take them home,” her voice was icy. “I’m ending this.” Indra reached out giving her the keys to the SUV.

“Lexa…” Clarke was still holding on to her hand but Lexa shrugged her off. She turned back around to the alley and found the piece of rebar she had discarded. “Where are you going?” 

She didn’t respond, walking towards the SUV. “Lexa!” Indra held her back, knowing exactly what she would do if she were her shoes. 

Hopping into the front seat, she threw the steel into the passenger seat. She pulled out quickly, and started towards the outskirts of the city. The rain started to come down hard, obscuring the roads. It didn’t matter though. Her mind was focused on one thing. Cage Wallace. She grabbed her phone and called upon a debt that needed to be repaid. 

In his fortified house, Cage sipped on a bourbon, waiting to hear if everything went as planned. The fire burned ominously in his den. The lights flickered a few times with the storm and he began to tense. Something crashed in the foyer and he grabbed for his gun that was sitting on the table. He walked carefully towards the door and saw it ajar, the storm raging outside. The branches on the willow tree in the front yard whipped wildly and the chimes on the porch smashed together unpleasantly, creating a shrill sound over the rain. He looked around and saw a broken vase. He relaxed for a moment thinking it was the wind. 

Staring ahead he saw his reflection in the mirror and smirked. In an instant, there was another figure behind him. He didn’t have time to respond when something hard came down on his back. He collapsed to his knees, the gun falling across the floor. A foot kicked hard at his back and he was laid out, face on the cold wood. He turned over and was met with wet metal across his face. Crawling on his hands, he scooted away towards the stairs. Lightening flashed at the open door, revealing bright green eyes full of rage. She was soaking wet, pools of water forming at her feet. 

“Lexa.” His voice trembled in fear. He felt at his face, blood soaking his fingers. “I’ll have the police here in minutes,” he threatened. Unimpressed, she leant down pushing the rebar into his neck. 

“How’s that?” 

“I have security cameras everywhere. The moment you walked onto this estate, you were recorded. You’re finished.” She resisted pushing hard enough to cause permanent damage. That wasn’t why she was there. 

Taking a deep breath, she took a step back. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out an assortment of cords and wires. “Next time…” she threw them at his feet. “...don’t get a system that I invented.” 

His eyes glazed over. “It’s just you and me now, Cage.” Even over the storm, Lexa could hear his erratic breathing. 

“Are you going to kill me?” 

“Well, I’ve never done something like this before.” She commented, mostly to herself. “I’ve never had something in my life that I was willing to kill for.” The anger rising to the surface caused her voice to crack. “I know you’re going to get away with what you did tonight and I don’t know if you will try again...so it crossed my mind to end this all right now.”  Lexa’s grip tightened on her weapon. “...But I don’t silence my enemies by killing them.” 

“...so what?” He let out a breath. “You beat me up, I give you my word and we go on about our days.”

“No...Her hands started to shake slightly. “...your word means nothing to me.” 

Cage eyed the gun a few feet away and was considering doing something very stupid. “What makes you think you can stop me?” He lunged for the gun and was able to grab it before she could react. He pointed at her, ready to fire. 

“No,” a deep voice echoed behind Lexa at the door. The man pulled down his umbrella shaking it on the floor. He straightened his hair back and walked into view. 

“Dad?” Cage faltered slightly. “She broke in...I’m defending myself.” 

His father looked down on him, and held out a hand. Cage slowly handed over the pistol confused but compliant. 

“You imbecile.” He brought the umbrella down on his head. “Ms. Woods you have my word that you or your interests will no longer be targeted by my son. Seeing as he is  _ already _ losing this election miserably, he will wait till election night to concede the race.” He looked down at his son in disgust. “In return, you will not pursue legal action against the incident that happened tonight. Provable or not.” He reached out his hand. “Deal?”

“My family has your protection?” He nodded. She shook his hand reluctantly. There wasn’t another option though. They had too much money and too great an influence with every level government. Short of committing murder, this was the only way to protect everyone, including the city. If she conceded the race she would be hurting more people than imaginable. Calling Dante was the only option. Cage couldn’t be controlled by anything but his father. 

“Mr. Wallace your word better be worth more than your son’s...or so help me I  _ will  _ kill him.” 

“On  _ my _ life,” he promised.

Lexa turned and left. She walked out slowly, her body still high on adrenaline and anger. She threw the rebar into the bushes, never wanting to have to use it again. In the car, she hit the wheel with her hands, screaming as loud as she could until all the came out was white noise. She wasn’t sure if the water streaming down her face was the rain in her hair or tears. She left the compound exhausted, not sure if anything was really resolved but knowing nothing else could be done that night. 

It took her thirty minutes to pull into the parking garage under the loft. Her life over the last few months flashed before her eyes the whole ride home. It scared her that in a moment she could have lost all of it. The elevator took her up slowly. The reflective glass gave her a glimpse of herself. She was worn and muddy from climbing through Cage’s lawn. Her hands were cut from the sharp edges of the rebar and she just realized the blood that was smeared on her blouse and pants. 

The doors opened into darkness. She took a step in and took her shoes off at the entrance like it was a normal day. Her coat clung to her skin and she peeled off the ruined cotton, throwing it away. She stepped down the stairs carefully, trying to not to make too much noise. She turned into the hallway and was met by Clarke, standing in her NYU shirt. Her eyes were puffy and there was a tissue crumpled in her hands. 

Lexa wanted to say something but words weren’t enough. She was overcome with a sudden urgency to feel the blonde. She walked towards her, green eyes never leaving blue. She grabbed her roughly at the neck and pulled her close, heads together, lips almost touching. “Ai hod yu in.”  _ I love you _ . Lexa kissed her softly, her hands trembling at the base of her neck. At first it was simple, like they were afraid to hurt each other. It wasn’t passionate or intoxicating. It was reassuring. It was safe. “Ai hod yu in,” she said more desperately. Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa’s waist, needing to feel her. 

Clarke’s clothes began to absorb some of the rain from Lexa and she broke away. Wordlessly, she grabbed Lexa’s hand and walked to the bathroom. She peeled each layer of clothes away while the brunette stared off, a million miles away. Clarke stepped into the shower with her, fully clothed. She let the warm water take away the mud and blood that was caked on her face. Grabbing Lexa’s hands, Clarke gently rubbed the washcloth over the small cuts. Fresh blood began to flow from them as she removed the dried dirt. 

It only took a few minutes to get her passably clean. She turned off the water and wrapped her in a towel from the counter. She grabbed some clothes and Lexa helped her put them on but still struggled to look at her. Clarke reached into the medicine cabinet and pulled out some gauze while Lexa sat on the end of the bed, her hands resting on her lap towards the ceiling. Clarke knelt down and gently wrapped each hand in white gauze. 

“Come on,” she said, finally breaking the silence. She peeled away at the covers and Lexa slipped into them. She was about to reach over to turn off the light but their door crept open. Clarke jumped slightly. Anya was standing there, sniffling. She held onto her pillow like it was a life jacket. 

“Come here.” Clarke sat up. She opened up her arms, and Anya ran to her, breaking down. She rubbed her back until her breath evened out. Anya crawled off of her lap and laid down next to Lexa, her head resting on Clarke’s leg. 

Lexa wrapped an arm around Anya and closed her eyes tightly. They started to fill with fresh tears as the thought of losing Anya crept into her mind. Clarke leaned against the headboard, and ran her hand through Anya’s hair until the girl fell asleep. She moved her caress to Lexa’s wet hair, running her hand through a few knots. 

Lexa tilted her head towards her, still unable to even speak. Clarke ran her hand down Lexa’s cheek, looking into tired eyes. She breathed in deeply before saying, “I love you too.” 


End file.
